The Second Hope
by Hobbit-eyes
Summary: EDIT: In hindsight, this is a MarySue. Neo was the first hope, but there is another. One problem the Matrix is her favourite film. On second thoughts, how come I didn't guess just from the summary?
1. Contact

Heya! The idea for this came to me when I was on my computer on the Internet, when my modem started making seriously weird noises. I thought, "Maybe its the MATRIX". But then I thought, what if those weird messages came to a girl in this day and age? This story's kinda angsty at the beginning, but it gets less, I promise! PLEASE R+R!  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this story except Asha, Jon and any other characters not in 'The Matrix'.  
  
Chapter 1 - Messages  
  
Asha sat at home, on the phone to her friend Jon, as usual. They were talking about Fanfiction, as usual. In fact, the whole evening was very usual.  
  
"I loved your new fanfic about The Matrix, Jon," she said, taking a swig of a vanilla coke; vanilla coke always made her hyper, and she wrote Matrix parodies better when she was hyper. "It was just so funny! Except I don't really want to picture Morpheus in a bunny girl outfit..."  
  
"I did warn you," laughed Jon.  
  
"Yeah, but still, you know I have a very overactive imagination! What's going to happen next?"  
  
"Ah, now that would be telling."  
  
"TELL ME!!! OR FACE THE WRATH OF THE MUFFINS!!!"  
  
"Muffins? ...Are you drinking vanilla coke?"  
  
"That's neither here nor there."  
  
"You are, aren't you? I've warned about that. You're a health hazard when you drink that stuff."  
  
"Well, I don't care. And if you don't like it, I believe you can go to hell."  
  
"Quit quoting Trinity, Asha."  
  
Asha grinned to herself. She and Jon had been friends for years now. They knew each other so well, they could often tell what each other was going to say. Of course, loads of people presumed that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but they weren't. They were just two friends; completely normal apart from having an obsession with the Matrix.  
  
"Jon, I've gotta go, I want to go on the Internet."  
  
"You're not checking up about The Matrix: Revolutions AGAIN, are you?"  
  
"..... No. Anyway, bye."  
  
"See you tomorrow, Asha."  
  
Asha hung up her phone, and clicked on the little Internet symbol in the corner of her computer screen. The computer started to log onto the Internet, and Asha started chewing one of her braids, as she did when she was bored. Then she realised that her modem wasn't making the usual whirring noises. Asha did her failsafe method of fixing things. She kicked it.  
  
Suddenly her computer screen went completely black.  
  
"What the-" She pressed Escape, Ctrl-Alt-Delete, and the failsafe ways of getting out of a messed-up computer situation. She tried to turn the monitor off, but nothing changed. Well, the computer screen remained black, but not the usual black of when it was off. Asha leant back and sighed. This was all she needed.  
  
Suddenly little green writing appeared on the screen. Asha leant forward and read: "Asha."  
  
Asha started chewing her braids anxiously. What was going on? Then the first message disappeared, and another one took its place.  
  
"You Know Who We Are."  
  
Asha's eyebrows went straight up. This was just like the beginning of the Matrix. This was probably some advertisement. But more appeared.  
  
"You Know About The Matrix."  
  
"Course I do!" Asha yelled at the computer screen, "Who doesn't? And I'm going to see it when it comes out! I have the DVD!"  
  
But another message appeared. "Stop Yelling At The Computer."  
  
Asha stuck her hand in front of her web cam, which had been a birthday present from Jon. Obviously this was some sick joke of her brothers. But more writing appeared.  
  
"You Know What To Do Now."  
  
"Follow the white rabbit?" muttered Asha skeptically.  
  
"Yes" said the computer almost immediately.  
  
Asha reached down and unplugged her computer. The screen immediately went black. She leant back in her computer chair, completely freaked out by what she had seen. Follow the white rabbit? She didn't know anyone with a rabbit tattoo.  
  
She looked out her window. "Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me."  
  
Sitting in her garden was a white rabbit.  
  
* * * * *  
  
So whaddya think? Again, please R+R, even if its to tell me that its rubbish. I just want to know whether to bother continuing putting it up! I'll only continue when I have 5 reviews, so get reviewing! 


	2. Attack

Hmm, I wonder how many reviews I have? *checks e-mails* ............. HOLY MUFFINS!!!!! *faints*  
  
Five minutes later... Whoa! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Just a few callouts...  
  
Becca - I SWEAR ON MUFFINS that this isn't self-insertion. Really, it isn't.  
  
Qwertyuiop - I'm sorry you don't like it. But people are reading this of there own free will, I'm not making them do it! You don't like it, don't read it.  
  
Nurvilyawen - Thanks for the support!  
  
Stormy Owl - Um, OK... I didn't mean the white rabbit thing to be that funny.... Nice to see you found it funny, though!  
  
Kat - again, thanks for support!  
  
Schu no Ko - I know, its not that angsty in the first chapter, but it is a bit more in this one.  
  
To everyone else who reviewed - thank you so much! You made my day! And as you requested, here is the next chapter!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Asha sat there, gazing out of her window. Her mind refused to accept the simple facts.  
  
"OK," said Asha, "Don't panic. Keep calm. But why should I keep calm? I have several reasons to panic. One - my computer is talking to me, just like in the Matrix. Two - It told me to follow the white rabbit, and now there is one in my garden. Three - I'M TALKING TO MYSELF AGAIN!"  
  
She took several deep breaths to calm herself. Almost not realising what she was doing, she grabbed her jacket and walked out of the back door. She approached the rabbit, which showed no signs of running away. Now she was right next to the rabbit. The rabbit just looked up at her. "Now what?" she thought.  
  
"Hey, have you seen my rabbit?" Asha turned round and saw a little girl looking over her fence. "He's white, and about this big, and-"  
  
"He's right here," said Asha. The girl looked past Asha and saw the rabbit. She squealed loudly, leapt over the fence and swept the rabbit into her arms. Asha smiled. It was corny, yes, but still incredibly sweet. The girl looked up at Asha. "Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome," said Asha, "I didn't do anything, I just came down and found him out here." Asha looked at the girl, suddenly realising something. She can only be about nine; how did she jump over that fence? It comes up to about her chin...  
  
"I'm Alison," said the little girl, still hugging the rabbit as if she would never let go.  
  
"I'm Asha." At the name, Alison looked up abrubtly, a strange look in her eyes. It quickly vanished, so fast that Asha was even sure that it had been there. "That's a nice name," said Alison. "Do you want to come back to my house quickly? Its not far."  
  
Follow the white rabbit.  
  
Asha shook herself. She was almost starting to believe that message was real. "I can't now," lied Asha, "I've got lots of homework to do."  
  
"OK," said Alison, nodding, but never taking her eyes off Asha, "Maybe later."  
  
Asha was starting to get a bit freaked out by this little girl. She turned and started to head back indoors. As she reached the back door, she turned and saw the little girl head out the gate. For a second Asha thought she saw the gate open all by itself, and then close itself once the girl had gone through it. But that was imposible. It must have been the wind. But still, Asha couldn't take her eyes off Alison until she had gone round the corner.  
  
You've been watching the Matrix too many times scolded Asha's brain. She shook herself and went up to her room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A loud hammering at the door woke Asha late that night. Luckily, Asha's room was on the third floor at the front of the hose, so she had a clear view of whoever was at the door. She went over to her window, and peered out into the gloom. What she saw outside was so out of the ordinary, she said a word she'd never use in front of Alison.  
  
Outside her front door were three men in suits and sunglasses. One of them was hammering on the door. Another was looking up and down the street. His eyes then moved onto the house, gradually searching up to her window.  
  
Get down!  
  
Asha didn't know where that order had come from, but she obeyed it instinctively. His eyes fell on her window, then carried on searching the area. Asha knew who he was, but her brain was refusing to accept it. It was just impossible. But nonetheless, here the situation was, right in front of her eyes.  
  
"Okay," she said to herself, "Agent Smith is outside my front door. Right. Too much vanilla coke?"  
  
This was impossible. On the floor below her, she heard her father climb out of bed and go down the stairs to answer the door. She crept out onto the landing to see what was going on, but her heart told her what was happening.  
  
They've come for you.  
  
"But that's impossible!" whispered Asha, clutching her teddy. She knew fifteen was a little old to have a teddy, but quite frankly, she didn't give a damn. "How could they have come for me? They're fictional!"  
  
She heard the front door opening. "What is it?" she heard her dad say, "Its 3am!"  
  
"We're looking for someone," said a voice. Asha couldn't believe it. That voice was Agent Smith's. How could this be happening?  
  
"Well, I'm sure that whoever it is, they're not here," said her father. She heard her mother join them.  
  
"What's going on here?" she asked.  
  
"I have reliable information that they are."  
  
"Is this some kind of joke? We don't have anyone here people like you would be looking for!"  
  
"Oh, but sir, we know that she is here. We're looking for your daughter."  
  
There was a silence downstairs. Asha's heart stopped. She heard her father trying, like she was, to make sense of the situation. "But... but... What do you want with Asha?"  
  
"We need her to come with us. Now. And if you don't let us have her, well; we'll take her anyway."  
  
"Get back!" cried her father, "Anne, get inside, phone the police!"  
  
"Where is she?" said Agent Smith. She saw him step into the hallway. She felt that she couldn't breathe. "This can't be happening," she muttered, squeezing her teddy, "This can't be happening."  
  
"Get back!" repeated her father. She saw Agent Smith pull out a gun.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr Warner, but you have left me no choice." He fired.  
  
"NO!" screamed Asha. Agent Smith immediately looked up to where the scream had come from. Asha slammed her door shut, locked it, and sat with her back against it, tears pouring silently down her face, feeling that she couldn't breathe. She heard her mother scream, and another shot being fired. She heard footsteps running up the stairs. "This can't be happening," she repeated, "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"  
  
"Oh, but I can assure you, it is," she heard Agent Smith's say on the other side of the door, "Now why don't you be a good little girl and open the door?" 


	3. Running

Yay! Loads of people are reviewing! Well... six... but that's still great! Thankies! This is gonna get more and more dramatic, I'm trying to make there be a bit of a cliffie at the end of each chapter.  
  
Stormhawk - Yeah, he is kinda creepy...  
  
Cam-il - Aw! You are just so sweet! *sniff* I'm so touched...  
  
Iden's Garden - I don't know why doesn't run. Well, how would you act if your house was invaded by another fictional character, like.... Harry Potter? I know what I'd do. I run away screaming.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter 3 - Running  
  
A hand shot straight through her door. Asha screamed and ran for her window. Before she got halfway there, an arm wrapped round her waist, and she was thrown over an agent's shoulder. Asha screamed loudly and tried kicked the agent as hard as she could everywhere that her feet could reach. Sadly, it seemed that agents have no areas that are more tender than others, where many boys had suffered incredible pain when they happened to upset Asha. She carried on screaming, wondering why the neighbours hadn't heard the gunshots or her shouts.  
  
Eventually they emerged from the house. Agent Smith passed Asha over to another agent waiting next to the car, who threw her onto the back seat. But before he could shut the door, a man leapt at him and kicked him round the head. Asha blinked, and looked out the car. A man and a woman in black had turned up, and were kicking the agents' asses.  
  
"Hey!" said Asha, "Are you-"  
  
"Run, Asha!" said the woman, "Just run!"  
  
"But are you-"  
  
"Just GO!"  
  
Asha ran away down the street as fast as she could. She had seen the first Matrix film enough times to know that you even if you kill agents, they just reappear in another body. "Dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit," repeated Asha, "WHY haven't I gone to see 'The Matrix Reloaded' yet?" Her slippers fell off as she ran, but she didn't stop until she was several streets away. Then she sat down, suddenly consumed with a great tiredness, and the memory of all that had happened fell on her like her massive cat, Beanie. She put her face in her arms and just sat there.  
  
She didn't how much later it was when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She lifted up her head and saw Alison standing next to her, still clutching the white rabbit.  
  
"Do you want to come to my house now?" she asked.  
  
Asha nodded. She couldn't think of anything else to say.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asha followed Alison through the back streets. She didn't know where she was going, and found that she didn't care. She couldn't stop thinking - why was this happening? Was this all some bizarre dream she was having? Maybe she would wake up soon, and say to Jon, "I had the weirdest dream last night, where Agent Smith killed my mum and dad, but Trinity and Neo helped me get away, and just before I woke up I was walking along with a little girl called Alison who had a white rabbit." And he'd say, "God, you're weird, Ash." Ash was Asha's shortened nickname; mainly because Asha hated Pokemon with a burning vengeance, because she deeply regretted wasting all her money on the cards.  
  
Soon they stopped in front of an apartment block. Asha blinked. "What are we doing here?"  
  
"This is my home," said Alison. Asha was amazed. This was the bad section of town. There were supposed to be criminals who met in this building, according to the newspapers; there were police raids there almost regularly. How could Alison be living in a place like this?  
  
Asha followed Alison up the stairs carefully. They got into the lift, and stood in silence for a moment. Whenever Asha glanced at Alison, she was looking at her rabbit.  
  
Finally the doors opened, and Asha almost threw herself out of the lift; someone had recently got it confused with a public bathroom. Alison stepped out of the lift a little slower.  
  
"This way," she said, and walked down the hall. Asha followed nervously. Alison stopped at the third door and knocked. It opened almost immediately.  
  
"There you are, Alison," said the woman, sounding relieved, "We were starting to get worried! The agents are still out there."  
  
"I know," said Alison, and walked into the apartment, leaving Asha in the hall. The woman rolled her eyes and said, "You must be Asha. Its lovely to meet you at last."  
  
"At last?" said Asha.  
  
"Oh yes. We've been expecting you for some time. Come in."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Okay, I know that's not that much of a cliffie. Maybe you think it is, but compared to some of the later ones... SHUT UP BRAIN!!! *starts hitting head repeatedly* I may not be able to update for a while cos I have exams. I'll definitely be back at the weekend though! Oh, and please read the story on my sister's account, called 'The Nightclub'. Her name's Neo. Pwease? 


	4. Meeting

Hmph. I showed this story to my sister, and she said that it was cheesy. Well, she saw the entire of it, I've nearly finished writing it!!! I haven't finished putting it up though. heh heh heh. I like writing my stories and then starting to put them up. This story is the reason I DID NO REVISION! I was going to revise for my exams, but I started writing this, and kinda got carried away. and wrote, um, seventeen chapters. *shame* So I may fail my exams, but I still have you lovely people reading my story! Enjoy! Ha ha, I know what the ending is! I didn't know when I started writing it, I only figured it out a coupla nights ago. and I'm just rambling now. doo dee doo dee doo.  
  
Chapter 4 - Meeting  
  
Asha stepped over the threshold tentatively. She followed the woman towards the kitchen. As they went through the living room, she looked around, and saw that there were several little children there, who couldn't have been more than eight. A couple were levitating building blocks, but most were listening wide-eyed to Alison, who was talking rapidly and glancing over at Asha.  
  
"These are some potentials," said the woman. Asha nodded dumbly. How could she explain that she already knew that, because she'd seen them on a film? She just kept quiet, and followed the woman into the kitchen. When she saw who was standing in there, she forgot all that had happened to her. Her brain was refusing to accept this, on top of everything that had happened. She very nearly fainted, but she managed to keep control. Over that, anyway.  
  
"DUDE!!!!" she shrieked.  
  
"Ah," said Morpheus, "I'm guessing by that 'dude', we've got the right girl."  
  
For a moment Asha didn't reply. She was too busy trying to convince her brain that yes, Trinity, Neo and Morpheus were standing in front of her, and no, she hadn't had vanilla coke in the last five hours. Well, not much. But then she realised what they had said.  
  
"Oh, no, no, no, you can't have got the right girl. There must be some mistake. I'm just an insane girl who gets high on vanilla coke and writes insane parodies!"  
  
"We have, though," said Morpheus, "We know that you have been through a lot this evening."  
  
"Just a little!" said Asha, "Lets see, I've been contacted by fictional characters, had agents come to my house looking for me, and..." She fell silent as the memories of her mother's scream came back to her.  
  
Trinity looked at her sympathetically. "We arrived too late," she said, turning to Morpheus, "There was nothing we could have done. Asha scarcely got away herself. It was only thanks to Neo that we did."  
  
"Too late?" said Morpheus, "If you had arrived too late, Asha would now be in the hands of them. But she is here. We are lucky for that."  
  
"But... why?" said Asha, "Why were there agents at my house? And - why were there agents? The Matrix is just a film! Isn't it?"  
  
"I will answer your second question first," said Morpheus. "Some time ago, the machines became aware that we were becoming noticed. People were noticing what we were doing; they couldn't just ignore us any more. So they created a film about us, and what we were doing. So now, if anyone sees one of us or anything suspicious, they ignore it; for fear of being ridiculed, or thought insane."  
  
"Like how they made films about aliens," said Neo, "Now if anyone sees a UFO, people just dismiss them as quacks. But would they have done the same if there weren't so many films about little green men?"  
  
"OK," said Asha, "But why do you look the same?"  
  
"The Matrix makes us seem to look the same," said Trinity, "But I like to imagine that my butt isn't as big as it looks in the film."  
  
"And now to your first question," said Morpheus, "We have been watching you for some time. You have seen the Matrix many times, and know it very well."  
  
"So have lots of people," said Asha, "Why am I so different?"  
  
"You see, the prophecy - you know of the prophecy?"  
  
"Yeah, the Oracle said that that guy would come back in the future, and that would mean the end of the war, and Neo is the one."  
  
"Yes," said Morpheus, "But the prophecy also said that there was another hope. And we believe that this hope - is you."  
  
Asha blinked. This was just too incredible.  
  
"We know that this, on top of everything, is very difficult to take," said Morpheus.  
  
"Uh-huh," said Asha, "Um, can I sit down?"  
  
"Of course," said Neo, and a chair flew out from under the table and dropped down behind Asha. Asha was too amazed at everything else to be yet more surprised, so she just sat down before she fell down. Neo knelt down in front of her.  
  
"I know it is incredible," said Neo, "But you have to believe us."  
  
"I do," said Asha, "I mean - I will, when I'm a bit less shocked."  
  
"You know that you are the second hope?" said Neo.  
  
"No," said Asha, "I mean, I believe that the Matrix is real. But right about now, I'm thinking that you have the wrong girl."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because - I just can't be the one! I mean..." She tried to think of a reason that she couldn't be the second hope. But to her amazement, she couldn't find one. "Because... I don't look good in black leather," she finished lamely.  
  
Neo smiled. "I remember I felt just the same way," said Neo, "But I remember what the Oracle told me; I'm sure you do as well?"  
  
"Of course," said Asha, "She told you that being the One is just like being in love; no-one can tell you you are, you just know it."  
  
Trinity blinked. "Just how many times have you seen the Matrix?"  
  
"Um...." said Asha, "I lost count."  
  
"We must leave soon," said Morpheus, "We only just reached Neo in time, and they didn't know his importance. The reason they came to your house tonight was that they know your importance."  
  
Asha was silent. "Where were they going to take me?" she said eventually, "Were they going to put that bug in me, like they did with you?"  
  
"We don't know," said Morpheus, "They would have killed you straight away; unless they had another plan for you..."  
  
"Like what?" said Asha nervously. Would this night have any more surprises?  
  
"That's just it. We don't know," said Neo, "But we do know that it wouldn't have been good. For anyone."  
  
"We must go," said Trinity, "Come on."  
  
Neo helped Asha to her feet.  
  
"What's going to happen to me?" she asked. 


	5. Awakening

HI!!! ITS BACK!!!! Thanks to everyone who's reviewing, its really is quite scary how many people are. But they're keeping the plot bunny happy!  
  
Cam-il: My exams went fine. Thankies for asking!  
  
Elrothiel: Um, that was one long review.  
  
Black Devil: I am going to keep posting, don't worry! Still got a long way to go yet! I wanna know what's going to happen to Asha as well, still haven't completely decided.  
  
Unforgotten13: Aw! You're so sweet!  
  
Lindzs: Thanx for putting my story on your favourites! This is set after the first film, cos I'd got really far into it when I saw the second one, and. well, you'll find out later.  
  
Im a Brandybuck: Aw! You're sweet also!  
  
Knowinsight: You too!  
  
I hope you appreciate all those callouts cos I had to trawl through my e- mails to make sure that I hadn't missed anyone! I would have just read it on the review list, but it wasn't showing all of them, so I had to check all my reviews.. I have no social life..  
  
Chapter 5 - Awakening  
  
Neo led Asha into the next room. Asha looked around, amazed. There were computer monitors, and a chair next to a mirror.  
  
"You're... you're...." she said, "You're going to unplug me?"  
  
"Its our only chance," said Morpheus, "We must get you out of the Matrix before the agents realize where you are."  
  
"But..." said Asha, "It looks kinda scary. And painful..."  
  
"It is," said Neo, "I'm not going to lie to you. But if the agents find you, we don't know what they'll do."  
  
Asha nodded. She sat down in the chair. She didn't mind leaving the Matrix. Her parents were gone. She could never go home. What was there to stay here for?  
  
"Wait!" she cried, "What about Jon?"  
  
"Who?" said Trinity.  
  
"He's my best friend!"  
  
"We can't do anything about him," said Neo, "I'm sorry, Asha."  
  
"What?" said Asha, "We're just going to leave him plugged in? A slave of the Matrix?"  
  
"There's nothing we can do," said Neo.  
  
Asha couldn't believe her ears. "But.... I can't leave him..."  
  
"You have to," said Morpheus, "Or you, us and Zion will be in danger."  
  
"But..." said Asha.  
  
"Asha," said Trinity, "We can't. Do you understand?"  
  
Asha couldn't speak. She nodded. Trinity glanced at Morpheus, who stepped forward. "Here you are," he said, holding out a red pill, "I'm sure you know what it is."  
  
Asha nodded again. She took it from him, but hesitated for a moment. She glanced around at Neo, Trinity and Morpheus. Suddenly Trinity's cell phone rang.  
  
"Tank?" said Trinity. She was silent for a moment. "Are you sure?" She listened again, then closed her cell phone. She looked from Morpheus to Neo to Asha. "Agents," she said, "On their way."  
  
"How long?" asked Neo.  
  
"Five minutes. Tops."  
  
Neo swore. Morpheus looked at Asha.  
  
"Now do you see?" said Morpheus, "They are looking for you. If they find you here, no-one will ever see you again; and if they do, you will have changed in ways we can't imagine."  
  
Asha nodded again. It was all she seemed to do tonight. She felt like bloody Noddy. But she doubted that the reason he nodded all the time was that he found out that he was the second hope of a bunch of previously thought fictional freedom fighters wearing black leather.  
  
"Just relax," said Neo. Asha lay back and closed her eyes. She could hear Morpheus talking to someone on his cell phone. She just lay there, waiting. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes.  
  
"Do I have to touch the mirror, or something?" said Asha, "Like Neo did?"  
  
"No," said Morpheus, "We're nearly there."  
  
There was suddenly a loud crash outside. The children in the living room screamed. "Agents," said Trinity. Morpheus strode out the door.  
  
"Get the children to the apartment above," she heard him order, "The people there are friends of ours. Trinity, what's happening?"  
  
"We're nearly there," said Trinity.  
  
They heard footsteps running up the stairs. "Trinity, Morpheus, get out!" said Neo, "I'll stay here and hold them off. You've got to go!"  
  
"We're not leaving you!" said Trinity. Neo didn't listen. He dialled his cell phone. "Tank, get us out of here!"  
  
The phone on the table rang. "Trinity, you first," said Neo.  
  
Trinity stood her ground. "We're not leaving you alone!"  
  
"Trinity, go!" Trinity stared at him, then picked up the receiver. She immediately vanished.  
  
"Neo, how are we coming?" asked Morpheus.  
  
"We've nearly got it. I can handle the rest myself! Go!" Footsteps echoed along the corridor outside. Morpheus nodded, and then headed over to the table, and picked up the again ringing phone. He also vanished. Asha glanced at Neo.  
  
"I've got your signal," smiled Neo, "See you in the real world."  
  
Asha nodded again. She suddenly felt a large jolt at the back of her head, and just before everything faded from view, she saw the door break down and police swarm into the apartment, with Agent Smith in the lead, and his look of fury as Asha vanished before his eyes, and Neo turning to face them.  
  
There ya go! Get ready for my feeble attempts at describing stuff! And also, I've started writing a parody of the Matrix called 'The Matrix Madness', so please R+R it if you have a moment! 


	6. The Real World

WHOA! That's a lot of reviews. Thanks everyone!  
  
Just me - Thanks! Yeah, I think that about all the films I see where there's some conspiracy. I am vaaaairy strange.  
  
Nurvilyawen - Social life usually includes more than person, but I'm sorry. You are my social life. Please forgive me, o wise wonderful one, with dust like diamonds, which she collects to buy Keanu Reeves and Orlando Bloom.  
  
KnowInSight - You review loads of my stories, so you get THANK YOU!!!! In capital letters!  
  
Jack Cole - Whoa, you reviewed The Matrix Madness as well! Thanks! I would include stuff from the second movie, but I found it a little, um, confusing, so sorry about that. You find out why in a later chapter.  
  
Society Finch - Sorry, I haven't had a chance to read your story yet, but I will soon! And I plan to keep going, don't worry about that!  
  
Iden's Garden - Um, OK, cool it. COOL IT..  
  
Im a Brandybuck - Thanks! Running out of things to say. um, the one who laughs last doesn't get the joke. Don't worry, I am a very strange and random person. as you will know if you've read my parody.  
  
Cam-il - Aw, its your fave? THAT'S SO SWEET!!!! I'm so touched. *sniff* Thankies!  
  
YamiStarFireDemon - I'm not telling you how many times I've seen it, cos I have also lost count.  
  
Stormhawk - Believe me, I wanted to know what was going to happen as well at this point, I hadn't decided yet.  
  
So here it comes! More tales of Asha, and my completely feeble attempt at describing stuff. I suck at describing stuff. you have been warned.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter 6 - The Real World  
  
Asha opened her eyes. She had known what was going to happen; but there had still been a part of her brain that had been saying, "This is all a dream. It can't be happening." And this part of the brain was incredibly shocked when she broke the skin of the liquid encasing her, and she saw where she was.  
  
Everyone who has seen the film will probably be able to describe it better than me. But Asha was in a pod, protruding from a massive tower, from which many others came out. They stretched off in all directions; there was no end to them. Asha couldn't believe what she was looking at. Computer graphics could not convey the horror of these human fields.  
  
She pulled out the tube that was sticking down her throat, and nearly threw up at the pain of it. Her eyes filled with tears. Why was this happening to her?  
  
A machine flew down towards her. Asha remembered this part in the film, and took a deep breath. As she expected, the machine seized her by the throat. Asha choked. As she felt the large wire being unscrewed from the back of her head, she started screaming. She just wanted this horrible nightmare to end.  
  
At last, the machine dropped her. She lay down, resting her head on the side of her pod, feeling suddenly very tired. She felt all the little wires popping out of her back, and fell back into the pod. Suddenly she felt the weird gooey stuff be sucked out through the back of the pod, carrying her with it, and she was falling.  
  
She plummeted down the pipe that led to the bottom of the tower. When she had watched the film, she'd said that it looked fun. Now she was just terrified. She saw the water rising up to meet her, and she knew that it was going to hurt. She was right.  
  
"OW!!!" she screamed as fell into the water. She tried to swim, but found that she couldn't. She sank below the water, and saw the white light getting further and further away. 'This is it,' she thought, 'This is the end. They won't find me now. Do I even want them to?' But a much stronger side of her mind; the side that made her storm up to a girl and yell at her for talking on her mobile during a film; said 'Don't give up! Just try and swim!'  
  
She tried to swim to the surface. It was immensely hard, because she was feeling incredibly cold and her legs just didn't seem to be working; but at last she broke the surface. She got a brief glance of the ship she assumed was the Nebuchadnezzar, when her brain gave up and she blacked out.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Asha?" said a voice, echoing somewhere far off. Asha struggled to lift the grey fog that was filling her brain. She felt a cold hand rest on her forehead. "Asha?"  
  
Her first thought was that she was ill. She was in bed, and her mum was asking her whether she was OK. She doubted she was, after the night she'd had... Ah. She struggled to open her eyes. She got them open a crack, and was immediately blinded by the white light over her head. She moaned, and closed them again.  
  
"Asha?" said the voice again.  
  
"Too much light..." said Asha.  
  
"Dim the lights, Trinity," said the voice. The blinding whiteness went away. Asha tried to open her eyes again. She looked at herself. She was covered in needles.  
  
"How are you, Asha?" said the voice to her right. She looked up and saw Morpheus.  
  
"I'm..." Asha tried to put a finger on just how she felt. "Not Brilliant."  
  
Morpheus smiled. "You're in the real world."  
  
"Cool," said Asha. She tried to smile, but found it painful. "How long will I be like this?"  
  
"Well, you've been unconscious for 24 hours. But you've nearly recovered. It's quite incredible, and just supports our suspicion. You are the second hope. Neo was like this for five days, but you should be up tomorrow."  
  
"Where is Neo?"  
  
Morpheus and Trinity glanced at each other.  
  
"He got out OK, didn't he?"  
  
"He got out," said Trinity, her voice breaking, "But only just." Asha saw her glance past Asha. Asha turned her head to the right, and looked past Morpheus. On a bed next to her was Neo, with his eyes shut.  
  
If Asha could have done, she would have leapt straight out of bed then. But she just said, "Holy crap, what happened?"  
  
"He was shot."  
  
"But... I thought he could stop bullets?"  
  
"He can. But something happened, and he was shot."  
  
"But..." said Asha, "He can't have been injured! He's the One! Jon and I had bets over who would win in a fight, him or all the Powerpuff girls at once!"  
  
Trinity nodded. "I thought so too." Suddenly she turned away and went to sit by Neo. Morpheus watched her.  
  
"He can be injured," said Morpheus, "And even though you will be just as powerful, you can be as well."  
  
"What?" said Asha, "I'm... going to be just as powerful as Neo?"  
  
"If not more. I will tell you more when you have recovered. You are still tired."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Rest Asha. You will hear it all later."  
  
"You said to Neo, 'The answers are coming'."  
  
"But you already know the answers," said Morpheus, "You just haven't realized them."  
  
Asha blinked. "That's just confusing."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asha opened her eyes. She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep, but she obviously had been. The needles, and Morpheus, were gone; she now had a blanket, and nodes in her arms. She remembered what they were for, and felt a thrill of excitement. She had gotten over the initial shock of all that had happened, and though she still felt grief for her parents, she was getting past it.  
  
"Well, that life has gone," she told herself, "No-one ever got anywhere by focusing on the past. They wouldn't want me to stew on them and be depressed. I've got to concentrate on the present." But when she thought of them, she felt a pain in her heart that she didn't think had anything to do with her unplugging.  
  
Asha turned to her right. Trinity was still sitting next to Neo. She had her hand on his forehead. Neo stirred slightly.  
  
"How is he?" she asked.  
  
Trinity jumped. "I didn't know you were awake," she said.  
  
"How long have I been asleep?"  
  
"About eighteen hours. You can get up soon."  
  
"Eighteen hours! No wonder I feel better."  
  
Trinity nodded and turned back to Neo. Asha could see the concern in her face. "He will be OK, won't he?"  
  
"Of course he will," said Trinity, "He was only shot in the side. He'll be up and about soon." Asha couldn't help feeling that the last bit she said was more aimed at herself, as if trying to convince herself. "Its just... he should be awake by now."  
  
"What actually happened?"  
  
"We don't know," sighed Trinity, "As soon as he started fighting them, the code went all strange. We couldn't tell what was happening. The next thing we knew was that Neo was calling us, asking us to get him out. As soon as he got back here, he collapsed." She gazed at his face. "He's been like this ever since."  
  
Asha didn't know what to say. "But... there must be something we can do?"  
  
"There is," said Trinity, "We can wait. We can look after him. He'll wake up soon." She paused. "He has to." 


	7. Answers

HELLO REVIEWERS!!!! You really make my day by reviewing, it makes the sun shine, the birds cheep and 1+1 = 2, without having to factor in constants or work out gradient functions.. Aaaaaah.. stupid maths coursework..  
  
Chapter 7 - Answers  
  
Morpheus came into the room. "How is he?"  
  
"No change," said Trinity, "He stirs a couple of times, but then goes back to this."  
  
Morpheus walked over to her, and laid an almost fatherly hand on her shoulder. "He's going to be all right, Trinity."  
  
"I hope so," she said. Morpheus also watched Neo for a moment, then turned to Asha.  
  
"How are you today?"  
  
"I'm better," said Asha, "I'd like to get up, though."  
  
"Of course you can," said Morpheus. Asha sat up slowly, and sat with her legs hanging off the side of the bed.  
  
"You said... you said you'd explain all this to me."  
  
"I did," said Morpheus. "Well, it all begins with the prophecy."  
  
Asha smiled. At last, she was finding out just what was happening.  
  
"The Oracle prophesied that there would one person, who would end the war between Zion and the machines. That person is Neo. But recently, she made another prophecy. She foresaw the One being in peril, and that another would come to his aid in our darkest time - the Second Hope."  
  
"Right. And you think that's me?"  
  
"Asha," said Morpheus, with a slight smile, "We know that it's you."  
  
Asha was quiet. "But you must have made some mistake. I've told you that before."  
  
"We haven't made a mistake," said Trinity, "Your name, Asha; it means hope."  
  
Asha stared at them both. "Okay, so that's some freaky coincidence. There are millions of people called Asha. I'm sure loads of them will look better in black leather than me. I'm not the second hope!"  
  
"But you are," said Morpheus, "And you'll realise that soon. But for now, you need to be trained."  
  
"Training?" said Asha. Her eyes lit up.  
  
"I see you remember this from the film," smiled Trinity.  
  
"Remember it? Its one of my favourite bits!"  
  
"Tank?" called Morpheus, "I think she wants to start her combat training now."  
  
Tank came in, and grinned when he saw the fifteen year old bouncing up and down on the side of the bed in excitement. "Well, lets get started, then."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Many hours later, Asha opened her eyes again. "Isn't there any more?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Nope," said Tank, "That's all your combat training, and I even threw in a couple of extras since you were enjoying it so much. You can now also ice skate, bungee jump and play the flute."  
  
Asha felt a little disappointed. The feeling had been amazing, like a great adrenaline rush. "So, can I have a go at fighting?"  
  
"Sure," said Tank, "I think Morpheus is busy, and Trinity is still looking after Neo... Tell you what. Imagine the person you like least, and I'll load them up onto the computer, and you can fight them."  
  
Asha grinned. She'd always wanted to kick Hannah's ass. She was going to enjoy this.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The next morning she woke up and wandered out onto the main deck. Morpheus was at the controls with Tank; Trinity was still watching Neo. Asha walked over to her.  
  
"Still no change?"  
  
Trinity shook her head, not taking her eyes off Neo. "We're going to see the Oracle, and ask her what's wrong. Rather - you are."  
  
"Me?" said Asha.  
  
"You," said Trinity, "You need to see her, and get her advice." Trinity turned to face Asha. "You remind me of someone. My sister. She was your age when I was unplugged."  
  
"How old were you then?"  
  
"Twenty one."  
  
"Twenty one?" said Asha, "Is that the sort of age people are when they're unplugged?"  
  
"Well, Neo was about thirty six. You were an exception, because we had no time."  
  
"Have you seen your sister since?"  
  
Trinity shook her head.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be," said Trinity, "It was years ago."  
  
"I left someone behind," said Asha, "My best friend Jon. I hate the idea that he's still stuck in the Matrix."  
  
"He's probably happy, Asha," said Trinity, "Apart from the fact that you're not there, of course."  
  
"I was wondering about that," said Asha, "When you're unplugged, do you - I mean, do people-"  
  
"You vanish in the Matrix," said Trinity.  
  
"Wow," said Asha. She sat down on the bed next to Trinity. She looked at Neo for a second. He was still lying completely motionless. She took a deep breath and decided to ask something that had been on her mind for some time. "Um... when we go and see the Oracle... can I go and see Jon?"  
  
"No," said Trinity, "It raises too many questions."  
  
"But he wouldn't tell anyone."  
  
"I'm sure he wouldn't mean to," said Trinity, "But under questioning something may slip out. And don't forget, the agents are still looking for you. Jon could turn into one of them any second."  
  
"Oh," said Asha, "I didn't... I didn't think of it like that."  
  
"No-one ever does," said Trinity. Morpheus came out from the controls and smiled when he saw Trinity and Asha talking.  
  
"We've reached broadcast level."  
  
Asha jumped to her feet. "Does that mean?.."  
  
"Yes," said Morpheus, "We're going in."  
  
*******  
  
OK, I know these chapters are short, so I'm gonna try and update midweek as well this week, cos otherwise its just mean.  
  
Stormhawk - I'm writing, I'm writing! Sheesh.  
  
Im a Brandybuck - Totally! Bubbles wouldn't know what hit her.  
  
Trinity - Muffins? MEEEEEP!!!! And yes, Neo is most excellent! *air guitar*  
  
Amy - Yup, there's loads more! I just meant that I'd finished writing it, not uploading it. I'm just going through it and changing some bits so that they fit..  
  
Jack Cole - I'M HURRYING!!!! Do you people think I have no social life? ..You're right, I don't.  
  
Miaka Neko - I don't normally like this kinda fic either.  
  
Cam-il - Check my bio, its got my e-mail there.  
  
KnowInSight - Hmmm.. What kind of muffins?  
  
Nicky - I'm a big Matrix fanatic too. Its amazing how many of us there are.  
  
Cirfia - I'm better than the new Harry Potter book? THAT'S SO SWEET!!!! I liked the new one, except who died.. That was a bit of a bummer..  
  
Lindzs - Thanks for the suggestion, but I've already decided what's gonna happen to Neo.. I already know the end as well! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Ahem. sorry. But again, thanks for the suggestion! 


	8. Warning

Hello peeps! This chapter's pretty long, but the next one is gonna be pretty short (sorry!) The story's getting more exciting now! See ya all next Monday!  
  
Chapter 8 - Warning  
  
Asha opened her eyes. They were in a hotel room, very similar to the one in the film, and the phone on the table was ringing. Morpheus went and picked it up. "We're in," he said.  
  
Asha followed Trinity and Morpheus down the stairs. On the way, she caught sight of herself in a mirror. "Oh, neat!" she said.  
  
Morpheus smiled. "Its residual-"  
  
"-self image, I know," said Asha. Her wavy brown hair was back around her shoulders, and she was wearing a black leather ensemble, one she'd always wanted but could never find one that was right. "I look COOL," she said. She reached into one of her pockets and found a pair of sunglasses. "NIFTY!" she said, and immediately put them on.  
  
They got into the black car and drove through the streets of New York. Asha had never been to America, and she certainly hadn't ever expected to go there like this.  
  
Asha watched all the streets and people roll past. She found it amazing to believe that all of this was a computer program, and that all these people were still plugged in.  
  
"We're here," said Morpheus. Asha opened her door.  
  
"This doesn't look much like the apartment block in the film," said Asha.  
  
"That's because the machines don't know what it really looks like," said Trinity. Asha walked towards the apartment building with Morpheus. They went up in the lift, again silently. "I would tell you about the Oracle, Asha," said Morpheus, "But I believe you know what I would tell you anyway."  
  
Asha nodded. The lift doors opened. Morpheus led Asha up the corridor. He again turned to Asha. "I can only show you the door," he said.  
  
"I know, I know, I have to walk through it," said Asha, grinning. She reached out a hand to the door. As she expected, before she could touch the knob, the door was opened by a priestess. "Morpheus, Asha, you're right on time," she said, "This way."  
  
"This is SOOOO NIFTY!" said Asha excitedly. She followed the woman into the apartment. While the woman was saying something to Morpheus, Asha went into the living room.  
  
"SPOON BOY!" she squealed. The little boy looked up from his spoon bending.  
  
"What?" he said.  
  
"Sorry," said Asha, "In the film, everyone thinks you rock, but no-one knows your name, so you're just - spoon boy."  
  
The little boy smiled slightly.  
  
"Come on, let me have a go," said Asha, taking a spoon. She stared at the spoon, willing it to bend. Nothing happened. Asha looked at the boy. "Why's nothing happening?"  
  
"Because you are trying to bend the spoon," said the boy.  
  
"No I'm not!" protested Asha, "I know that there's no spoon."  
  
"Yes, but you are still trying to bend the spoon. Just because you are telling yourself that its not there does not mean you can bend it."  
  
Asha shook her head. In a confusing way, it sort of made sense. She blinked and focused her mind on the spoon.  
  
"Don't concentrate so hard," said the boy.  
  
"OK," said Asha, and looked at the spoon. She looked at the spoon, and told herself that it wasn't there. She suddenly felt an incredible freedom in her mind; in her hand was just a liquid object, not even liquid; like a thought. She could do whatever she wanted with it. She relaxed her gaze a bit, and the spoon drooped to the right. Asha gaped as she made the spoon twist into all sorts of strange shapes. She looked past it at the boy. He nodded slightly.  
  
"The Oracle will see you now," said the priestess. Asha nodded, and got to her feet.  
  
"Catch ya later, spoon boy," said Asha. The boy smiled.  
  
"Here, take this," he said, holding out the spoon she'd bent, "To remind you of this."  
  
"I doubt I'd forget," she smiled. The boy pressed it into her hands.  
  
"Keep it," he said, "You may need it one day."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asha went into the kitchen. Inside was the Oracle.  
  
"No cookies today?" asked Asha. The Oracle turned and surveyed Asha over the top of her glasses.  
  
"I knew you'd be hungry," she said, "So I made some beforehand. They're just cooling over there."  
  
"Oh," said Asha, reddening. The Oracle's face broke into a sunny smile.  
  
"It seems only yesterday that Neo was in here," she said, "But you already know how that went, so I'm not going to bother explaining about it." She held out the tray of biscuits. Asha took one nervously. The Oracle looked at Asha.  
  
"You are the Second Hope," she said, "You'll believe it in due time."  
  
"What?" said Asha, "I didn't know that you were supposed to tell me that straight away."  
  
"You were expecting me to do that," she said, "But we have little time, so I must go straight to what is essential at this point."  
  
"What?" said Asha, "Why don't we have much time?"  
  
"The next time you see Morpheus, he'll tell you," she said, "But I must tell you. You are in danger."  
  
"What?" said Asha, "You mean - more danger than I'm already in?"  
  
"Yes," she said, "You're going to have to make a choice."  
  
"... It's not between my and Morpheus' lives, is it?"  
  
"No. I can't tell what this choice is. But all I ask is that you remember that you are our only hope, while Neo is as he is."  
  
"Oh! I needed to ask about this," she said, suddenly remembering, "What can we do about Neo? Trinity is really worried, and so is Morpheus, though he doesn't show it."  
  
"I can't tell you," said the Oracle, "Because I don't know. Neo's future is wrapped in shadow, I can't see what's going to happen to him. But I do know that you, and you alone, will have a chance to bring him back; but at a price."  
  
This sounded so much like the Oracle that Asha was half expecting the soundtrack to kick in.  
  
"Is that the choice I have to make?" said Asha nervously, "It sounds like a toughie."  
  
"You have no idea," said the Oracle, "But now you must leave. The danger is not as far away as you may believe."  
  
"Thank you," said Asha, smiling.  
  
"I'm sorry about this, Asha," said the Oracle, "As I said to Neo, you have a good soul; and I hate giving good people bad news."  
  
"I know," said Asha. She turned to leave, but then remembered something. "Hey - it took Neo a bit of time to realise that he was the one, and even to longer to fully be able to use his powers. How long will it take me?"  
  
The Oracle smiled. "You can already use them. You just need to free your mind."  
  
"Oh, and I have one more question," said Asha, "My friend, Jon - the one I left behind. How is he?"  
  
The Oracle smiled. "I was waiting for to ask me that," she said, "He's fine. But he, like everyone else in Kent, is wondering what has become of you."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asha walked out of the Oracle's apartment. Morpheus stood up to greet her.  
  
"What was said was for you alone," he said.  
  
"I know," said Asha, "But she said... she said I was in danger."  
  
"You are," said Morpheus, "The agents are still looking for you. We once lost a person we had unplugged to them."  
  
Asha felt as though her stomach was filling with ice as she remembered the Oracle's words. "Who, who did you lose?"  
  
"A boy about your age. We thought that he was the One. Thankfully, we were mistaken."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Morpheus looked up and down the hallway, as if to check if anyone was there. He then leant close to Asha. "We unplugged him, which we rarely do when the person is as young as you are. But as I said, we believed that he was the One. Soon we realised our mistake.  
  
"He mastered his powers quickly. He was headstrong, reckless. He would never follow orders. He became incredibly strong, as strong as Neo. There was nothing we could do, so we transferred him to another ship and resumed our search.  
  
"But the agents had learnt of his value. One time, when we were in the Matrix, we were ambushed by agents; more than I have ever seen before. Yet once they had him, they let the rest of us go. We couldn't figure out why, but now, too late, we realize; he went with them willingly. He joined their side."  
  
"What - like Cypher?"  
  
"No," said Morpheus, "He was a far too valuable asset to reinsert into the Matrix. He became one of them."  
  
Asha put a hand to her head. This couldn't be. Morpheus continued.  
  
"The first we learnt of it was when we came to the other ship and found everyone on it dead. There was one still alive on the ship, who told us. He had just appeared out of nowhere, and killed them all. That person died soon after.  
  
"He's still out there, Asha."  
  
Asha heard the Oracle in her head. "The next time you see Morpheus, he'll tell you... You are in danger."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Trinity Eternity - *GASP* YOU HATE BILL + TED? HOW CAN YOU? THEY ARE MOST EXCELLENT!!!! *air guitar* Well, I guess you're entitled to your own opinion.  
  
Amy - I :D plan :D to. :D  
  
Im a Brandybuck - Thanks!  
  
KnowInSight - Mmmmm.. Triple chocolate..  
  
T'Lorie - Yup, more agents coming. I'm not going to tell you when, though!  
  
Sway - Thanks!  
  
Borderline-Chan - Yup, I think I would have tackle-hugged Neo as well. How many bananas did you eat? 


	9. Seperation

Again, I'm reeeeally sorry that this chapter is so short, but there's a nice cliff-hanger at the end which will probably make you want to kill me! Mwahahahahahaha!!!!!!  
  
Chapter 9 - Separation  
  
Asha followed Morpheus towards the exit, trying to keep her thoughts straight. It couldn't be. He couldn't be the threat. Morpheus talked about agents before. They must be the danger. In either case...  
  
'Be careful'  
  
Asha stopped and shook her head. She hadn't heard that voice in her head since the night the agents came for her. And it had been right then...  
  
"Morpheus," said Asha, "We have to get back. Something's telling me that we're in danger."  
  
Morpheus nodded. "That's the thing with prophesied hopes," he said, "If they think you're in trouble, you listen to them."  
  
They strode out of the building. Trinity came to meet them.  
  
"We have to get back, Trinity," said Morpheus, "Now. Asha thinks we're in danger."  
  
Trinity nodded. They walked quickly towards the car.  
  
'Get down!'  
  
Asha glanced around, and saw something that made her blood run cold. An agent, striding down the street towards them, a gun raised.  
  
"Get down!" screamed Asha, and pulled Morpheus and Trinity to the ground. A bullet went whizzing overhead where Morpheus' head had been a second ago. The agent started running towards them.  
  
"Go!" said Morpheus, pushing Trinity and Asha towards an alley. They didn't need telling twice. As they rounded the corner bullets exploded in the brickwork next to them.  
  
Asha ran as fast as she could, her feet pounding on the pavement, Trinity and Morpheus just behind. She could hear footsteps behind them. She glanced back; there were agents. Three of them. Agent Smith in the lead. He saw her looking at him and smiled, a smile that had no humour in it. Asha shuddered, and put on a spurt. She was drawing slightly ahead. As she ran she looked up, and saw a pigeon fly past. She suddenly saw the same pigeon fly past again.  
  
"Deja vu," she muttered, "Hey - Deja vu?" She heard a loud crashing sound. Looking to either side, in that split second, she saw what seemed to be the walls on either side exploding. "Look out!" she screamed, and pushed the other two back while launching herself forward. Suddenly in between them was a brick wall, about twenty feet high, stretching from either side of the alley, walling her off from the others.  
  
Asha looked around. The alley had opened onto a square courtyard between buildings. It was a dead end. "Great, Asha," she said to herself, "You've just runs straight into a dead end." She heard shouts on the other side of the wall, and she heard Trinity cry out. She heard what sounded like a fight. She ran up to the wall, and struggled to get over it. But she couldn't.  
  
"Damn!" she said, "Why didn't I do the jump program?" She listened, and heard the shouts suddenly stop, and feet running away down the alley. Then there was silence, so loud that she could hear her heart thumping in her chest.  
  
"Trinity?" she called, "Morpheus?"  
  
There was no answer. Asha kicked the wall and screamed in exasperation. Suddenly her cell phone rang, making her jump. She pulled it out of her pocket.  
  
"H-hello?"  
  
"Asha? Its Tank. Trinity and Morpheus are OK. The agents left, and they're running back to the car. They're going to look for a way to get to you."  
  
"Oh, thank God."  
  
"Asha, focus. You're the one the agents are looking for. You've got to be careful- Hey, what the hell?"  
  
She heard the sound of a keyboard and Tank swearing down the phone.  
  
"Tank?" She heard him swear a couple more times. He then started talking very quickly and urgently.  
  
"Asha, be careful. The screens have suddenly messed up, I can't see you any more, I think something's happening-"  
  
Tank was cut short by Asha's phone flying from her hand. Asha turned round, and saw a boy standing a few feet behind her, holding her cell phone. He raised an eyebrow at her, and said into the phone in a voice that made Asha's blood run cold, "Yes. I'd say something was happening as well."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Amy - I'm not telling you anything about what happens to Neo! Har har! Cos I'm just evil like that.  
  
Im a Brandybuck - . Rowan Witt? Nah, I prefer Spoon Boy.  
  
T'Lorie - Yup, agents are a'coming, but not quite yet!  
  
Lindzs - Yeah, I'm trying to give Asha a chance to kick ass.  
  
Cirfia - So very true. Ugly, that's what.  
  
Yilantri - Rubber chicken? *remembers Sixth form panto at her school* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ah, that was funny... ew..  
  
KnowInSight - Muffins.. *drool* Oh crap, the keyboard! 


	10. The First Hope

Hello lovely little people out there who read my stories! Not that I'm assuming you're little, unless of course you're hobbits, and it would actually be really cool to have hobbits review my story, but I don't know how they would because how are they going to access fanfiction from Middle Earth? Oh, and they're fictional... that's kinda a reason for them not to be able to review... shut up brain... Sorry the last chapter was so short, but this one's nice and long, and it'll answer a couple of your questions! Maybe.... Enjoy!  
  
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Chapter 10 - The First Hope  
  
The boy turned off the cell phone and put it into his pocket. He was only about seventeen, yet his entire body radiated menace. Menace and danger. He wasn't wearing a suit, like the agents, but a black T-shirt and trousers with a black leather jacket. His dark hair fell slightly onto his face, just brushing the top of his sunglasses, but he made no effort to brush it away.  
  
"Who - who - who are you?" asked Asha, unable to keep her voice from shaking. The boy smirked slightly.  
  
"Oh, but surely you should know that," he said. His voice was ice cold, and made Asha shiver. "After all, I know who you are. Asha Warner, the second hope, newest member of the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. Well, I - I was the first hope."  
  
He took a step towards her. "We're both very similar, Asha. We were both... ah... 'unplugged' in the fifteenth year of our lives, and thrust into a world we didn't recognise.  
  
"But here is our difference," he said, stepping towards her again. Now he was standing right in front of her. Asha wanted to run, but found that she had frozen, and couldn't take her eyes off his sunglasses. He continued on. "You believed everything that you were told. You believe that you are fighting for what is right. However, when I came into this world, I realized where the real power lay. I embraced that power, and look at me now, Asha." He took off his sunglasses. "Look at me now."  
  
His eyes were icy blue, as cold as his voice. There was a sort of flame burning in them, but they gave off no warmth. As soon as she saw them, Asha felt fear grip her entire body, so much that she could hardly breathe. She started to edge away backwards, feeling behind her for the wall.  
  
"Keep away from me..." she said, "Keep away!" She spun round to run, to do anything to get away from those eyes.  
  
"Oh, but why would I want to do that?" Asha stopped dead. Now the boy was right in front of her. She edged away again, trying to get as far away as possible. "Yes, Asha, look at me now. I have the power to move about freely in the Matrix - and out of it. Like when I went from the Matrix onto my old ship, and killed everyone." The cold flame in his eyes brightened, and started to walk towards Asha again. "I can move anywhere I want in an instant. I can move things. I can overpower minds, Asha..." he said. Asha was now right up against the wall, and the boy was immediately in front of her, looking down on her. "You can do that too. All you have to do, is take my hand, and I'll take you where you can learn the full extent of the power you have."  
  
He held out a hand. Asha felt an overwhelming urge to take it. But her mind struggled to resist, and she fought to keep her hand by her side. She could gradually feel her resistance being beaten down. She wanted more than anything to run, to fight, but she felt that the only thing she could do was take his hand. Unwillingly, her hand started to move towards his. She was almost crying as she watched it.  
  
Suddenly a foot came out of nowhere and kicked the boy in the chest. Asha blinked, and saw Trinity in front of her, fighting to keep the boy away from Asha. The boy parried her blows easily, and grabbed onto Trinity's wrists. He pulled her towards him.  
  
"Trinity!" he said, in a mocking tone, "Long time, no see. How are you, now that Neo is dying? Won't have anyone to look after you any more, will you?"  
  
Trinity looked as if she was longing to hit him much harder than she had before, but while he was holding onto her wrists that was impossible. She gave him such a look that normal people would run screaming, but he just laughed. Trinity fought to get away.  
  
Asha suddenly felt in control of her mind again, and summoned all her strength. She jumped into the air, and kicked the boy around the head. The boy tried to block the blow, but in doing so, had to let go of Trinity. Trinity, regaining her strength, helped Asha to beat off the boy. The boy fell back onto the pavement.  
  
"Asha! Come on!" said Trinity, and grabbed onto her hand and leapt up onto the roof of one of the buildings. As they ran away across the rooftops, Asha glanced back. The boy was on his feet again, and watching her go.  
  
"Remember what I offered, Asha!" he called, "Remember what I said."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Trinity led Asha to a phone booth that wasn't too far away. Morpheus was waiting for them there. He gripped Asha by her shoulders. "Asha, are you all right?"  
  
Asha nodded. She couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened if Trinity had come a few seconds later.  
  
Morpheus watched her face, and seemed to understand. "You first," he said as the phone started to ring. Asha nodded, and picked up the receiver. She felt as if she was falling, and then opened her eyes. She was back on the Nebuchadnezzar. Tank reached up and pulled the plug from the back of her head. She sat up, feeling a bit dazed about all that had happened. She watched Trinity and Morpheus wake up. Trinity immediately ran to the medical bay, where Neo was still lying as if asleep. She resumed her old position, sitting beside him, looking for any change.  
  
"I don't understand it," she said, "He's healed from the bullet wound already, so it can't be that. What's wrong with him?"  
  
Morpheus walked over to Asha. "Do you know who that was?"  
  
Asha nodded. "I think it was the boy you unplugged who joined their side."  
  
"What did he say to you?"  
  
"He said..." Asha shivered as she remembered those eyes. "He said that he was now powerful, that he could move freely from the Matrix to the real world. He said that I could do that as well. He wanted to take me somewhere where I could learn to use my powers properly."  
  
Morpheus nodded. "They're trying to get you as well, Asha. It seems that David is now more powerful than agents, since he move about freely between the real and the Matrix."  
  
"David?"  
  
"Well, yes, Asha, he has a name."  
  
Asha shook her head. She couldn't picture him having a name.  
  
"But that's the point, Asha. You can be more powerful than him. You just haven't realised it yet." Morpheus took her shoulders. "With Neo as he is, you're the only hope we have, Asha. We don't want to lose you as well."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Agent Smith walked up to David. He personally disliked him, felt that he was too full of himself, but he was essential to their plans - for the moment.  
  
"She got away," he said.  
  
"I know," said David, "Didn't talk to her for long enough. That damn Trinity turned up. Another few seconds, I would have had her."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asha lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't possibly sleep, she was still running over the events in her mind. Every time she thought about the boy, she shivered. She remembered how close she had come to relenting.  
  
"How are you, Asha?" said a voice.  
  
Asha sat bolt upright. Leaning against one of the walls was David.  
  
Asha felt her heart stop. "I wasn't expecting that," she said weakly.  
  
The boy smiled mirthlessly. "Most people don't. Those people on my old ship certainly didn't expect it."  
  
Asha felt afraid. But amazingly, not as afraid as she had been in the alley. Trinity and Morpheus weren't far away. She could run and get them.  
  
"Thinking about fetching someone?" said David, "And how, may I ask, do you plan to get to the door?"  
  
Asha got up and ran for the door. David vanished and reappeared, instantly, in the doorframe. Behind him, the door slammed shut all by itself. Asha backed away.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked feebly.  
  
"What do I want?" said David, "Now lets see. What do most people want? Power, Asha. Power. That's what most people want. But I'm not like most people, so I'll just settle for you joining us."  
  
"I'm not going to do that," said Asha, "Not for anyone."  
  
"Really?" said David, "Not even, say, for Neo?"  
  
Asha was about to snap back, when she realised what he'd said. "You know what's happened to him, don't you?" she said, "You know why he's like this."  
  
"Asha, Asha, Asha," he laughed, "Know why? I'm the REASON why."  
  
Asha felt her heart stop. "What did you do to him?"  
  
The boy took a step forward. "Oh, not much. His mind's just wandering around the cyberspace of the Matrix, hopelessly lost. And that's where it will stay, unless..."  
  
Asha shook her head. "No..." she said, "No, I won't. I won't go with you."  
  
"Oh, now Asha, show a little compassion," he said, "So maybe you won't for Neo. You'll just let him stay asleep, with Trinity by his side, forever. But maybe you'll consider it - for someone else? Say... for Jon?"  
  
Asha felt that if she got any more shocked, her head would explode. But she felt most of her fear leave her, replaced by blinding rage. "What have you done to him?"  
  
"Nothing yet," said David, "But I could, any moment now. He could be hit by a bus. He could be pushed over a cliff. He could just suddenly die, just like that-" He clicked his fingers. "-and no-one would ever know what happened to him."  
  
Asha felt like she was going to be sick. "You wouldn't," she said, "I don't believe you."  
  
"Really?" he said, "You don't think I'd do it? Your records have you down as intelligent... Why don't you just give in, Asha?"  
  
"Because then I'd become like YOU," she said.  
  
"Touché," he said, "But I can see your future Asha. You will give in."  
  
"What?" said Asha.  
  
"You have your Oracle. I have my own sources. I've seen your future. You will join us."  
  
Asha felt anger bubbling up inside her. "I'm not going with you!" she shouted, and tried to hit him.  
  
He grabbed onto her wrist. She suddenly felt as though she was falling. The Nebuchadnezzar vanished, and she and David were flying through the code of the Matrix. Asha looked around in fear.  
  
"I don't think you have a choice this time," he said.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Im a Brandybuck - Well, you don't have to wait until Monday, cos I updated today! I couldn't wait either...  
  
KnowInSight - *watches muffins* Muuuufffiiiinnsssssss..............  
  
Cirfia - Mad evil. Now that sounds like a combination that's, um, not very nice.  
  
Kit - Thanks Kit! Hope this chapter answered a couple of questions for you.  
  
Mako - You're not annoying. You're like me. But then again, I'M annoying...  
  
Tanuki Yasha - Whoa, eighteen 'really's. That's really a lot of reallys. Mmmmm....... quadruple chocolate muffin with chocolate chips and chocolate sauce.......  
  
Yilantri - Wow. Moon of wisdom. That's a new one...... 


	11. Reunion

Hello!!!!!!!!!! Thank you SO MUCH everyone who reviewed, you cannot believe how it means to me to have all of you reading my story - and liking it! Here's the next chapter, and I also reloaded the other chapter so that it doesn't have any of the weird symbols. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 11 - Reunion  
  
They plummeted through the sea of green symbols, then suddenly hit solid ground. Asha fell over at the impact, but David remained upright. Asha got to her feet in an instant.  
  
"Where the hell are we?" she demanded.  
  
"Oh, Asha, surely you'd recognize your home town?" said David.  
  
Asha looked round. Sure enough, she was back in England. Not just in England. On Jon's street.  
  
"What are we doing here?"  
  
"Just a little demonstration." Asha looked up and down the street. She could see Jon walking up towards them, but apparently he couldn't see them yet. David closed his eyes. "This can't be good," thought Asha.  
  
It wasn't. Jon started to cross the road. Suddenly a massive truck came round the corner at high speed. Asha looked at David in horror.  
  
"You can't!"  
  
"Oh, but I can," said David, "I've sealed off Jon's eyes and ears, and the driver of the truck's. The first Jon will know of that truck is when he realizes that he's dead."  
  
Asha watched helplessly as the truck went straight towards Jon. He showed no sign of being aware of his oncoming fate. "Look out!" she screamed.  
  
"Oh, he can't hear you," said David. Asha looked at Jon. The truck was only about a second away from him now.  
  
'Free your mind'  
  
Asha closed her eyes, and pictured Jon. She - how could she describe it? - reached out with her mind. Somehow, incredibly, she found that she could feel him there. Not only that. She could grab onto him. So she did just that.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jon was walking along the street, thinking about Asha. She'd been missing for about a week now. The police were completely baffled. They'd come to her house, found both her parents shot, and Asha gone. He, like everyone else, was wondering where she was. The newspapers were lapping it up, of course, and putting forward many suggestions; from it was her that killed her parents, to alien abductions, to cult kidnappings, to her being related to the Royal family and she being held hostage by some terrorists. Jon didn't believe any of them. But he'd had to go through endless press conferences, where he stubbornly repeated that no, he didn't know where Asha was, no, she never spoke of going to any top secret societies, and as far as he knew she wasn't a paranoid schizophrenic prone to killing parents.  
  
He started to cross the road. As he did, he glanced up one end of the street. That couldn't be - Asha? He was about to call out, when he suddenly felt something grab hold of him, and he was thrown across to the other side of the street.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asha opened her eyes again, and laughed with relief. She'd done it! She'd got Jon out of the way of the lorry! She had absolutely no idea how, but she'd done it! She turned to look at David. He looked ever so slightly less composed than usual. Asha took chance at his confusion, and ripped her wrist out of his grip. Before he realised what was going on, she kicked him round the head.  
  
"Oh yes! That felt good," she said, as he fell back onto the pavement. Having learnt from many action films that you don't hang around to gloat, she ran down the street to where Jon was sitting dazed against the wall, staring at the truck which was carrying on up the street.  
  
"Jon!" she called happily.  
  
Jon turned to see her. As soon as he saw her, his eyes lit up. "Asha? Oh my god - is that you?"  
  
"Communistic choco-cheese will one day rule the world," grinned Asha, "Do you know anyone else who would say something that insane?"  
  
"Nope," said Jon, "But - where have you been? Everyone's been so worried."  
  
"Listen, Jon," said Asha, glancing back up the street to where David was getting to his feet, "I don't have time. But listen to me. The Matrix is real."  
  
Jon blinked. "What?"  
  
"The Matrix is real. I've got to hurry Jon, I'm in trouble." David was now running towards Asha. Asha scribbled down a number. "Call that number! You'll get your answers then!" Glancing fearfully behind her at David, who was now only a few seconds away, she started to run, calling out behind her, "Tell them to get me the hell out of here!"  
  
She ran as fast as she could down the street. David started to catch up with her. "Where are you going, Asha?" he called, "You haven't got anywhere to run."  
  
"Away from you is good enough for me," she called back. She threw herself round the corner. As she did, she felt herself collide with something. That something grabbed onto her arms.  
  
"Going somewhere?" said Agent Smith.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Tanuki Yasha - NOOOOO!!!!! THE MUFFIN!!!!! Nah, don't worry, my chemistry teacher gave me a whole box.... Mmmm.... mini double chocolate muffins.... I like my chemistry teacher.... Have a muffin.  
  
Kit - Yes, muffins are tasty... Your story is great, so you shouldn't listen to what they say. Have a muffin.  
  
Mako - Wow... I'd never thought of that... Can I have a muffin now? (NB: See 'The Matrix Madness' for the full extent of my muffin obsession) Have a muffin.  
  
Miaka Neko - Thank you so much! Have a muffin.  
  
Cirfia - Thanks! I noticed that, it was v v v v annoying... Anyway, have a muffin.  
  
Stormhawk - Meeep! I updated! I updated! You're scary... Meh, have a muffin.  
  
Kristia - Yes, the very hot Neo... *drool* Hmmm, Neo or muffins? Neo or muffins, neo or muffins... Neo. He can bring me muffins. Thanks for the compliments to my writing, I try my best, but its great to know that you think that it's good. Have a muffin.  
  
KnowInSight - Ooooh, muffins... THANKIES!!!! *hugs KnowInSight* Here, have a muffin. I know you just gave me one, but they always taste better when you receive them, don't you think?  
  
Im a Brandybuck - HELLO FRODO!!!!!! Hee hee, I bet I scared him... Have a muffin, and here's one for Frodo too.  
  
Yilantri - OK, I won't do cliffhangers any more... Whoops, I kind of just did, didn't I? Sorry, but my friend read this as I went along, and it was very very fun to watch her reach a cliffhanger when I hadn't even written any more... Hehehe... poor Frankie... Have a muffin. 


	12. Hostage

Hey people! WHOOOO!!!! Over 100 reviews! That is just so incredible, I've never had a story this popular before... Thank you all so much for reviewing, it really does mean a lot. To say thanks, I updated slightly early! Hope you all enjoy this chapter! *Sniff* This story's nearly finished... By the way, this chapter is dedicated to Im a Brandybuck, who is seventeen on Sunday! All together now - Haappy Birthday to you-  
  
*Car alarms start going off, windows smash, dogs start howling*  
  
Fine, fine, I can take a hint...  
  
Chapter 12 - Hostage  
  
Asha fought to get free from Agent Smith. "Let me go!" she shouted.  
  
"Now why would I want to do that?" he said. David came round the corner.  
  
"Seems you can't keep hold of her," said Agent Smith. David glared.  
  
"She has realized her powers already. I wasn't expecting it," he said.  
  
"Lucky I was here," said Agent Smith. While this conversation was going on, Asha continued to struggle. She kicked Agent Smith hard in the chest. He tightened his grip on her wrists, which was so tight now that Asha cried out. David stepped up behind her.  
  
"I think I can handle her now," he said, and wrapped his arm round her waist and lifted her into the air. Asha continued to fight. "Why are you fighting, Asha?" he said, "I'm so much stronger than you. What makes you think you are more powerful than me?"  
  
A black car pulled up beside them. David threw Asha onto the back seat then followed, while Agent Smith got in the front. The car drove off. "Where are you taking me?"  
  
"To a place where you'll look at us a little differently," said Agent Smith.  
  
Asha looked around the car for a way to get out. David watched her.  
  
"Looking for escape?" he said, "I wouldn't bother Asha. There isn't a way out. I'd just go to sleep."  
  
Asha looked at him. Suddenly she felt all the strength she had leaving her. An overwhelming wave of exhaustion swept over her, and she closed her eyes and slumped backwards in her seat.  
  
David observed her efforts to resist with amusement. She had no idea what they were going to do to her. If she did, she would have fought a lot harder.  
  
"See, Smithy boy?" he said, "She's not so powerful."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Morpheus was jolted out of sleep by Asha's scream. He immediately ran as fast as he could towards Asha's room. He was beaten there by Trinity, who had undoubtedly been watching Neo again. Trinity knocked on the door.  
  
"Asha?" she called, "Asha, we're coming in." She opened the door. "Oh, no."  
  
On the floor was Asha in a crumpled heap. She didn't respond to Trinity shaking her, or calling her name.  
  
"Its just like Neo," said Morpheus. Tank lifted her up and carried her to the medical bay and put her on a bed next to Neo. Asha still didn't move.  
  
"She's breathing," said Trinity, "But completely unresponsive."  
  
"What's happened to them?" said Morpheus.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jon watched Asha sprint down the street, pursued by the boy in black. He heard Asha scream as she went round the corner. He got up to try and help, but he saw her struggling to fight off the boy and - was that Agent Smith? But Asha was overpowered, and bundled into a black car, still screaming. The boy and Agent Smith leapt in as well. It then sped away.  
  
Jon stood there, feeling numb. What had just happened? He would have thought it was a daydream, but... He squinted at the number she had scribbled on his arm. Better that than nothing. He dialled the number.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Morpheus' phone rang. Instinctively, he answered it. "Hello?"  
  
He was shocked to hear what sounded like a young boy's voice on the other end. "Who is that?"  
  
Morpheus glanced at all the others. "Who is this?"  
  
"I'm Jon," said the voice. Trinity glanced up.  
  
"Asha said her best friend was called Jon," she said. Morpheus nodded.  
  
"Are you a friend of Asha's?"  
  
"Yeah," said the boy.  
  
"Do you know what has happened to her?"  
  
"Well, I was just walking across the road, when suddenly I was thrown across the street. Suddenly I saw this massive lorry where I had just been. I was thinking 'How could I have missed that?' when Asha came running down the street towards me."  
  
"How long ago was this?"  
  
"Just now. She told me that the Matrix was real, and to call this number. Then she ran off, because this guy was chasing her. She ran round the corner, then she screamed, and she was shoved into this car by the guy and someone who looked really similar to Agent Smith. You know, the guy from the film?"  
  
Morpheus bowed his head. "Yes, I know. Did she say anything else?"  
  
"Yeah. She told me to tell you to get her out of there. Actually, she told me to tell you to get her the hell out of there. I'm surprised she didn't call you 'Mr Wizard' actually."  
  
Morpheus looked at Tank. "Tank, get searching on those screens for Asha. Hurry!"  
  
"The screens?" said Tank, "But she's right here!"  
  
"Her body is," said Morpheus grimly, "David has taken her mind into the Matrix, and God knows what he's doing to it."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asha opened her eyes. What had happened? Oh yeah - she'd been taken back into the Matrix by David, had pulled Jon out of the way of the truck, but had been captured by agents. She groaned, and tried to rub her wrists where they were still hurting from Agent Smith's grip, but found that she couldn't actually move them. She looked behind her, and saw that her hands were handcuffed behind her back. She became aware of her surroundings. She was in quite a richly decorated room. Where the hell was she?  
  
She heard footsteps behind her. She turned round, and saw Agent Smith walking up behind her. "Ah, so you're awake."  
  
"Where am I?" said Asha.  
  
"In our base in London. We have one in all major cities," said Agent Smith.  
  
"Bit fancy, isn't it?" said Asha, "So what are you planning to do to make me join your side? I presume that that is your plan."  
  
Agent Smith laughed. Asha felt a chill creep up her spine. "Asha, not all this is about you. Yes, that may be the boy's eventual plan," he said, "But right now we have other designs for you. You're going to bring us Morpheus."  
  
"I am?" said Asha sarcastically, "Wow, I didn't know that. Must have forgotten to write it in my diary."  
  
"Sarcasm," said Agent Smith, "A human form of humour, I personally see no point in it. But you will bring us Morpheus, Asha."  
  
David suddenly burst into the room. "I told you to tell me when she woke up!" he said angrily.  
  
"I didn't see any reason why I should," said Agent Smith.  
  
"This is my task," said David, "It has nothing to do with you. I don't need you to be here."  
  
"If I wasn't here," said Agent Smith, his voice rising ever so slightly, "Then Asha would probably have already gotten away, and figured out how to wake Neo. I could handle this quite well without YOU."  
  
"Um, people? Hi," said Asha, "Could you make this brief? Cos I have lots of other places I'd rather be. If you guys wanna have a cat fight, I'd rather not witness it."  
  
Agent Smith frowned, but David smirked slightly. Asha didn't know which expression she preferred. "You don't have to worry about cat fights, Asha," said David, "All you have to worry about is yourself."  
  
"Oh, believe me, that isn't my main priority," said Asha.  
  
"Oh really?" said David, "Then what is?"  
  
"My friends," said Asha, "Jon. Neo. Trinity. Morpheus. And I KNOW that sounds cheesy, but if you don't like it, I believe you can go to hell."  
  
David's eyes flashed. "You little-"  
  
"You humans," said Agent Smith, "So many emotions, so little vocabulary. Do you have any idea how useless emotions are? They are there just to distract us from the right choice."  
  
"You know what else is useless?" said Asha, "You trying to get me to join your side. Because I'm not going to."  
  
"Oh, but you are," said David.  
  
"No," said Asha firmly, "I'm NOT."  
  
Agent Smith looked at Asha. After a moment he said, "So you haven't seen the newest Matrix film?"  
  
"No," said Asha, "Which I am now regretting. But that reminds me, I wanted to ask you. I thought you blew up at the end of the Matrix?"  
  
Agent Smith glared. "So I did, Asha."  
  
"Then how come you're still here?"  
  
"Because I didn't in real life," said Agent Smith, a hint of amusement in his voice, "At the end of that particular episode, Neo ran. He realised he could stop bullets, that he was the One, and then escaped through the phone. Hooray for him. But he never actually killed me. You see, humans enjoy believing that evil can be defeated by the right person. The reality is that it can't be destroyed," he said, not taking his eyes off Asha, "It can just be postponed, and it will return in another form."  
  
"Yeah, OK, but in the advert there were, like, loads of you."  
  
"Ah, yes," said Agent Smith, "One of my useful abilities not shown in the first film, so that it could be brought out in the second one, as if I had 'gained' it from being 'set free'. But the truth is, I can duplicate myself, and always could." He looked at David. "I could turn this young man into me."  
  
"I'd like to see you try," said David.  
  
"Me too, actually," said Asha.  
  
"Oh, but you wouldn't," said Agent Smith, "If there were two of me, there would be no-one to protect you."  
  
"Oh, right," said Asha, "He's protecting me. Yeah. That's why he brought me here against my will, and tried to shove my best friend under a lorry. He's caring all right."  
  
"No, Asha," said Agent Smith, "If it weren't for David here, you would already be dead."  
  
Asha blinked. "What?"  
  
David looked furious. "I told you not to inform her of this."  
  
"I know," said Agent Smith, "I just didn't see why I should take orders from a boy."  
  
"Wait," said Asha, "Um... what?"  
  
"That's right, Asha," said Agent Smith, "Our original plan was just to eliminate you. You were a threat, we could see you had a strength of will quite different from this one here." He gestured towards David, who remained silent, eyes fixed on Agent Smith, hands flexing. "We could tell that it would be almost impossible to persuade you to join us."  
  
"And I said that I could do it," said David, "And I can. I will."  
  
"No you won't," said Asha, "I won't. Ever. Did you ever see 'Star Wars'? I am SO much cooler than Luke Skywalker, and even he didn't in the end. Not that it's difficult to be cooler than Luke Skywalker, I mean, his voice sometimes goes higher than mine..."  
  
"There," said Agent Smith, "You see, David? Again, machines' intelligence triumphs over humans. She will never give in."  
  
"Too right I won't," said Asha, "And I won't bring you Morpheus either."  
  
At this both David and Agent Smith smiled. Asha leant backwards slightly. They were agreeing on something - that couldn't be good. "What? Wouldn't you find that bad?"  
  
"No, Asha," said David, "We guessed that you wouldn't. That's why we didn't leave you any choice in the matter."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You are bringing him to us just by being here," said Agent Smith, "We have allowed you to show up on the system on the Matrix. They will see you here, and undoubtedly come here in an attempt to rescue you."  
  
Asha felt her confidence slip down a notch. "So?" she said, "They beat you once before. They'll do it again."  
  
"No they won't, Asha," said David, "For one thing, Neo isn't there to help them. He's still lying as if dead on the Nebuchadnezzar, with his loyal Trinity by his side. And secondly, we know they're coming; and we're ready."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Im a Brandubuck - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!  
  
Tanuki Yasha - I really am sorry that I forgot you. Please forgive me, o wise and wonderful writer of Matrix parodies, who thought of such gems as the white ferret and Trinity playing Galaxian... By the way, peeps, read Tanuki's parody, its so so so so funny! What's the difference between Galaxian and Galaga anyway?...  
  
Kit - Yup, Agent Smith... Though evil, he still rocks. Almost as much as fluff. Or lint. Or Spongebob Squarepants. Or the Smurfs...  
  
Cirfia - Umm...... cos... um... Cos he only blocked the lorry from his eyes and ears. Otherwise he couldn't see the street either. Yeah. That must be it. Heh.... Sorry if there's any other bits of my story that doesn't make sense, I'm trying my best... And Jack Sparrow is from Pirates of the Caribbean, and Star was a reviewer who asked if she could bring him. I haven't seen it yet either... boooooo...... BRING ME PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!!!!!  
  
Alocin - Um, I don't know how muffins could... I know that there may be chocolate brownie ice cream...  
  
Bradster2009 - MUFFINS RULE!!!! As does Agent Smith. And fluff. And lint. And Spongebob Squarepants. And the smurfs. And...  
  
Gone-to-jarmadanga - Check my bio, that has my e-mail address. And is it really all that predictable? Damn... What do you think is gonna happen?  
  
Mako - *gasps extremely loudly causing family, passers-by, friends, Santa Claus and whole buncha elves to jump* OH MY GOD!!!!!!! Must - see - Matrix - Revolutions - or I'll settle for telling my friend Frankie... WHERE'S THE PHONE?!?!?!?!? Thank you SO MUCH for telling me that!!! Is that a weird coincidence or what?...  
  
Elsey - Sorry, there's going to be a helluva lot more cliffhangers to come... Its how I define the end of a chapter, by its cliffhangeriness. That's not even a word....  
  
Mako (again) - Yeah, it does. I just put spaces between the e's so it looks like me e e e e ep. Looks odd, but I get my point across... WHY HAVEN'T YOU UPDATED??????  
  
Catherine Ace - Yeah, I wrote it as if it was happening to me, and what I'd be thinking at that point. But its not self-insertion, cos Asha's slightly different from me. She's much braver, for one thing - if I saw Agent Smith, I'd say "MEEEEEP!!!" and run as fast as I could in the opposite direction...  
  
Just a minute - *examines toy that came free with Ribena closely* Hmmm... press here?  
  
RIBENA TOY: *starts giggling and singing extremely loudly*  
  
AAAAARGH!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!! 


	13. Ambush

There's only a couple more chapters left... Hope y'all enjoy this one!  
  
Chapter 13 - Ambush  
  
"Found her," said Tank, pointing to the screen, "She's in the government building in London."  
  
Morpheus nodded. He then resumed to talking to Jon. "Thank you for your assistance, young man. We've located Asha. She's in the government building in London."  
  
"There's one in London?" said Jon, "Where?"  
  
"It's disguised as a tourist attraction. It's next to the River Thames, and looks like a large clock-"  
  
"Big Ben?" said Jon incredulously, "The agent base in London is Big Ben?"  
  
"Yes," said Morpheus, "But again, thank you for your help. We'll tell you how everything goes-"  
  
"Hey, wait, wait, wait," said Jon, "I want to come. I want to help."  
  
"Out of the question," said Morpheus, "It's too dangerous. You could get seriously hurt."  
  
"I don't care. I want to help Asha."  
  
Trinity ran up and grabbed the phone. "We'll meet you by the London Eye in half an hour, Jon," she said, and hung up. Morpheus raised an eyebrow.  
  
"He would try and help her anyway," said Trinity, "If he's with us, we can help him."  
  
"It is not your place to decide that."  
  
"I know that. But I had to make sure that the right decision was made."  
  
"Trinity-"  
  
"Morpheus, did you leave anyone behind when you were unplugged?"  
  
Morpheus was silent, and then shook his head. "No."  
  
"Well, I did. I had to leave my little sister, and to this day I don't know how she is, and she doesn't know what's happened to me. This boy has a chance to see his best friend again, and help her. Isn't that worth the risk?"  
  
Morpheus looked down. Trinity's speeches could do that to a person. "He's just a boy," he said, "He doesn't know what he's getting himself into."  
  
"And she's just a girl," said Trinity, "She didn't know when she agreed to go with us. None of us know what's waiting for us at that building."  
  
Morpheus nodded. "All right, Trinity," he said, "But he's your responsibility."  
  
Trinity nodded. "I know."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jon grabbed his backpack, in which he had thrown his money, his phone and a map, and, pausing only to grab some sunglasses and his little sister's hockey stick, ran outside and jumped on a bus heading towards the Thames. As he sat staring out the window at the streets rolling past, he mulled over in his mind everything that he'd discovered. All this wasn't real; he was still plugged into the Matrix. That felt seriously strange. But he couldn't concentrate on that now, he had to focus. Asha was in danger.  
  
When he saw the Houses of Parliament drawing nearer, he jumped to his feet and rang the bell, running down the aisle. He knew what he was going to do was insane, reckless and incredibly stupid, but he found that he didn't care. Much. The danger was like a drug; it gave him a rush of adrenaline. But when he saw Morpheus and Trinity waiting, he swallowed. Up till then, part of his mind had been disbelieving everything. Now it was brought home to him just what they were going to do.  
  
"There you are," said Morpheus, "Tank says that Asha is being held at the very top of Big Ben, in one of the highest rooms. We will have to go in the front way. It's a great loss that Neo cannot be here."  
  
"Why, where is he?" said Jon. Trinity blinked and turned away.  
  
"This is not the time," said Morpheus, "Come on."  
  
Jon fell into step beside Trinity. "Are you OK?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine," said Trinity firmly, "Are you?"  
  
"I'm..." Jon was expecting himself to say fine, but instead found that he couldn't put a finger on how he was feeling, "I'm... well, a bit blown away by all that's happening. I was expecting to do homework this afternoon, and instead I'm going to mount a rescue attempt on Big Ben to save my best friend from agents of the Matrix. Not quite what I was expecting."  
  
Trinity smiled. "You're so much like Asha."  
  
They walked in silence for a moment. "Are you as big a fan of the Matrix?" said Trinity eventually, "The film," she added, seeing Jon's face.  
  
Jon laughed. "Not as much as Asha, but she does seem pretty obsessed. She acts like its real life, like that's what the world is really like."  
  
"That's because she is the second hope," said Trinity, "She could see more deeply into the film."  
  
Jon didn't know quite what to say to this. "Um... Trinity?" he asked tentatively, "Can I say something?"  
  
"I don't see why not," said Trinity.  
  
"Well... it's just, in the film, I always thought you were kinda hot."  
  
Trinity was not expecting this at all. "Why, thank you Jon." Jon went red.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asha was very bored. No-one had said anything for about an hour, and she was just sitting there. Agent Smith was pacing the room, waiting, and David was sitting on the floor, occasionally glancing at Asha thoughtfully. Asha was no longer as afraid of him as she had been; she had seen him unnerved.  
  
She tipped her head forward, under the pretext of being tired, but in fact her eyes roved around the room beneath her fringe for ways of escape. There was one window in the corner, but she knew that it was a long drop to the ground. There were several swords in cabinets, but the cabinets were locked, and it wasn't like she could reach them.  
  
Suddenly she remembered how she had thrown Jon out of the way of that lorry. If she could regain the sudden power that she had felt then; who knew what she could do? She looked around the room for a test. There - in the far corner was a small table. She made herself relax, and stared at the table. She felt the growing power in her eyes again, and reached out. The table wobbled slightly, and then ever so slowly, began to raise above the ground. It was all Asha could do not to squeal out loud. She could do it, she could!  
  
She looked at David. He appeared to be deep in thought. She reached out again, and pinched his arm slightly. He swatted the spot absent mindedly. She felt joy rise in her. She could do it, she could escape.  
  
A sudden movement by Agent Smith made her jump. He raised his hand to his ear, in which that little tube that had always bugged Asha was. He nodded. David looked up.  
  
"They're here."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"So what's the plan?" asked Jon, "Are we looking for helicopters, like in the film?"  
  
"No," said Morpheus, "We have no major plan. Basically, enter the lobby, eliminate all resistance we find, and hope for a miracle."  
  
"Oh," said Jon, "Good plan."  
  
"Jon-" said Trinity. She paused. "Take this." She held out an automatic hand gun. Jon stared at it. "Just for defence," added Trinity quickly, "I don't want you fighting if we can avoid it."  
  
Jon would have protested, but knew that she was right. He nodded, and followed Trinity and Morpheus towards the gates.  
  
"Do you want a family ticket?" said the man in the booth outside. Morpheus and Trinity glanced at each other.  
  
"I got it," said Jon, and pulled out a season ticket. Morpheus and Trinity stared at him. "What? I come here a lot. Me and Asha, we used to..." Jon fell silent. Trinity laid a hand on his shoulder and propelled him through the gate into the grounds. As soon as they were inside, she said, "Jon, you don't have to do this. You can just go home."  
  
"No I can't," said Jon, "This is something I have to do."  
  
Trinity nodded. She, Morpheus and Jon strode up the path towards Big Ben, and halted just in front of it.  
  
"Tank, can you get me some blueprints?" said Morpheus. Jon looked around the grounds. He noticed that the grounds, which were normally teeming with tourists, were completely deserted.  
  
That's strange, he thought, it's normally packed here on a Saturday... He turned back to the gates, and felt his heart stop when he saw that they had shut. "It's a trap," he cried.  
  
"Yes," said Agent Smith, striding calmly out the front door, followed be several other agents, "It most certainly is."  
  
Jon felt like his heart had stopped. Agent Smith was standing right in front of him, looking twice as creepy as he did in the film.  
  
"Jon," said Trinity, "Run."  
  
"No," said Jon.  
  
"Run!" ordered Trinity.  
  
Morpheus stared at Agent Smith. "I should have known," said Morpheus, "Neo told me that I didn't show up on the screens when you were holding me captive. Why should we have been able to see Asha?"  
  
"Why indeed?" said Agent Smith, "She has been useful, for her part. She has given us much useful information and has brought you to us."  
  
"Asha would never betray us!" said Jon angrily, "She hates the Matrix! She calls you a butthole about five times every time we watch it! She'd never betray the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar."  
  
Agent Smith raised his eyebrows. "It is touching that you have such faith in your friend. But she can't help you now. She has served out her purpose."  
  
"What are you talking about?" said Trinity.  
  
"She had done what we needed her for," said Agent Smith, "She now has a choice. She can either join our side..." His gaze cut through Jon like ice. "Or she will die."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Kit19 - Yaaaay!!! Asha's going to kick bad-guy butt soon! I know the name changed halfway through, that was his original name, but I changed it. I've fixed it now. Agent Smith compared to Smurfs? Now there's a thought... Imagine a Smurf being an agent...  
  
Im a Brandybuck - Wow, that party sounds so much fun. Happy Birthday, by the way!  
  
Yilantri - *eyes rubber chicken in fear* Uh-oh...  
  
Tanuki Yasha - Wow, I can certainly say I know the difference now... And I think that title would make me sound just a leeeeettle conceited.  
  
Fairy-of-the-Lost - Wow, your name rocks. Thank you!  
  
Trigger2 - Thank you too!  
  
JB Foster - I know that Neo was scaled down a bit, I hadn't realised that he had been to such an extent though. Its because I wanted this story to focus on Asha, really, and with Neo awake it would mean that half this stuff couldn't happen. Sorry, though. And there's fighting coming, but I'm not so good at describing it, so I'll leave it to the readers to imagine loads of kick-ass kung fu moves for them to do. And I am a girl, you guessed right.  
  
KnowInSight - I'm really glad that you like it so much! Thanks for reviewing! It makes me : )  
  
T'Lorie - I'm weird too. Join the club. *looks out window to see all members of agent fanboard outside waving muffins threateningly* Uh-oh... *runs out door, but runs into Yilantri's rubber chicken* STOP THREATENING ME!!!!  
  
Cirfia - You didn't get a callout? I am so so sorry! Um, please don't send any creatures after me, they all need feeding, and I'm very low on cash, having been to see 'Pirates of the Caribbean' twice already... 


	14. The tide turns

I look forward to these updates, it means I get to tell all you spiffy people how much I appreciate your reviews! And get those dragons out of my back garden... *leans out window* Mesan! Raven! I'm updating!  
  
DRAGONS: *wave and fly away*  
  
So anyway, as ever, enjoy, and I don't own the Matrix or any of the characters. And I'm sorry if some of this stuff doesn't make sense, but I'm just trying to make a good story. And there's fighting in this chapter, for all you kung-fu fans. And I know that this chapter is long, but I won't be able to update for a while, because I'm going on holiday. So see you in a couple of weeks!  
  
Chapter 14 - The tide turns  
  
David heard the fighting from below in the grounds and smiled. Asha closed her eyes, wishing that she could block her ears as well. With her eyes closed, she could feel Jon down there. She knew that he was in trouble.  
  
"You see, Asha?" said David, "Its hopeless. Morpheus will die, Trinity will die, your friend Jon will die. And you will as well, unless you join us."  
  
Asha's mind started working. What were her options? Fighting and escape weren't beyond her reach, but how could she help down there? She wasn't as powerful as Neo. Now Neo... She slumped in her chair, in feigned defeat.  
  
"What's in it for me, if I should do that?"  
  
Asha could sense David's sudden confusion. Up till now, Asha had been refusing point blank to even consider joining. Maybe the gunshots were bringing everything home to her. "Well, what would you want?"  
  
"Only one thing," said Asha, "For you to wake Neo up."  
  
David got to his feet. "No."  
  
"What's the problem?" said Asha, "Even if Neo did come here, you'd be able to defeat him, wouldn't you? I mean, you're not saying that in spite of you joining the Matrix, he's more powerful than you, are you?"  
  
David fought to control the rage rising inside him. "Of course I'm more powerful."  
  
"Then what's the problem?" Asha was enjoying this. She taunted boys at school like this, and was very good at getting them into trouble. Which was precisely what she was planning with David. "You're not AFRAID of him, are you?"  
  
"No," said David.  
  
"Prove it," said Asha, "Wake him up. Go on, I dare ya!"  
  
She had him, and they both knew it. On the one hand, David had the security of the mission. On the other, his pride. He found himself hating this little girl handcuffed to the chair in front of him.  
  
"It's not difficult, is it?" David glared at Asha. She met it with a big sunny smile. But he closed his eyes. Asha felt into his mind. She could feel him racing through the green code of the Matrix, turning, searching, wheeling...  
  
* * * * *  
  
Neo opened his eyes. What had happened? He'd been fighting, and had managed to get away. He'd just been phoning Tank, when he saw... that boy... he couldn't have been more than seventeen. He'd felt his strength leave him, and just managed to ask Tank for an exit. As he'd lifted the ringing phone, he'd felt a bullet enter his side. Then he'd been falling... the venomous green symbols of the Matrix had been whirling around him... and suddenly he'd felt something grip him, and now he was here.  
  
He sat up. He was amazed to see that he was in the medical bay instead of in the moth-eaten chairs in which they usually sat in when they entered the Matrix. He got to his feet, and looked at the bed next to him. "Oh, no." He saw Asha lying there, completely oblivious to the outside world. Seeing it jolted something to his memory. Where was everyone?  
  
He walked down to the main deck, his strength returning with every step. Tank was sitting at the computers, concentrating very hard. Trinity and Morpheus were plugged in. He looked at Trinity for a moment. If possible, she looked more beautiful than before. But he often felt that way when he saw her.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked. Tank jumped out his chair. He blinked, gasped, and suddenly his face broke into a look of amazement, disbelief and joy.  
  
"Neo! You're... I mean... Are you OK?"  
  
"I'm fine," said Neo, "What's happening?"  
  
"What happened to you, man?" said Tank, "You've just been lying like that for ages!"  
  
"How long?"  
  
"A week."  
  
"A WEEK?"  
  
"Yeah. Wow, are you OK?"  
  
"I'm fine," said Neo, "But please, what's going on?"  
  
Tank sat back down in his chair. "Bad shit," he said, shaking his head, "Asha's been kidnapped by Agent Smith and a guy named David who joined them."  
  
"David," said Neo, feeling like ice had slipped down his throat. Morpheus had told him about David.  
  
"Yeah. And Trinity and Morpheus went to rescue her, but..."  
  
"It was a trap," said Neo.  
  
"How did you know?" said Tank in disbelief.  
  
"I can't explain it entirely," said Neo, "But I was asleep because I was locked in the cyberspace of the Matrix. I've just been wandering there for ages. But I found some information; I found the plans for this entire ambush. They've got enough people in there to stop an invasion." Neo looked at Trinity, who had her eyes closed, and looked very peaceful. Neo couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her. "I'm going in."  
  
"What?" said Tank, "Neo, you've only been up for five minutes!"  
  
"I don't care. I've got to help them."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jon dove behind a statue when the fighting began. There wasn't all that much he could do to help, except fire the gun at agents who looked like a specific threat to Trinity and Morpheus; it forced to stop while they dodged the bullets, and alerted them to the danger. There were about five agents there, but it may as well have been five hundred to show just how trained at fighting they were.  
  
He looked at the fight and wished that there were something he could do to help. But he hadn't had the weird kung fu training program, and had never been much good at fighting. But when he saw several agents tackling Trinity at once, he knew that he couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Closing his eyes, he threw himself at the nearest agent, catching him off guard in that split second, and knocking him to the ground. The other agents blinked; they had not been expecting a teenage human to come flying out of nowhere; but then again, who does?  
  
* * * * *  
  
Neo flew as fast as he could towards Big Ben. It was an easy enough landmark to spot. He ignored the stares and points of people down on the ground; if they said anything they would be branded as liars, or worse, insane. No, no-one would say anything.  
  
He steered towards Big Ben and hovered over the grounds. He could see Trinity, Morpheus and - was that a teenage boy? A strange ally against agents. What had he missed when he'd been asleep? He almost smiled when he saw the boy throwing himself at various agents. But then he saw something which made his blood run cold, and he shot towards the ground.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jon hurled himself at another agent who was threatening Morpheus. It was the least he could do. When he felt that he could do no more, he stood back to regain his breath. This didn't look so tiring in the film.  
  
Trinity was fighting with three agents. She seemed to be the main target; others would be fighting her, but Morpheus was keeping two of them off. Trinity was also getting tired - she knew that they couldn't keep fighting forever. She had no idea as to how many agents there were in the building, and more could come out at any second. She didn't know why the full force didn't come out at once. Morpheus had guessed why; it would be a greater insult to be defeated by few agents than by an army.  
  
Trinity glanced skywards, as if asking for help, when she saw a tiny black spot get larger and larger. She couldn't believe it - could it be? Her heart leapt, and she cried "Neo!"  
  
Her slight lapse in concentration was all the agents needed. They quickly overcame her, and fell to the ground. Two agents held her down. Morpheus glanced at her, and saw another agent raising his gun. He felt anger rising inside him. He was very fond of Trinity; she had been on his crew for years, and he had begun to look on her as the daughter he had never had. Now someone was threatening her. He tried to rush and help her, but an agent blocked him.  
  
Jon had looked up when he saw Neo coming, and cheered. But he'd heard Trinity shout when the agents knocked her over. The sight of an agent pointing a big gun at Trinity's head had registered in a second. Neo would be landing in a few seconds, but by then it could be too late. Not pausing to think about how this was an insane thing to do, he grabbed onto the hockey stick and swung it at the agent's head. The bullet went wide, and hit the shoulder of another agent. The agent was distracted, and he knocked Jon away. Those couple of seconds were all Neo needed. He landed, and pulled Trinity to her feet.  
  
The agents looked slightly surprised at his arrival. Agent Smith's face was contorted with anger, and Jon, raising his head from the ground, saw him glance upwards to the room where, undoubtedly, Asha was being held.  
  
"Jon!" called Trinity, "Get behind Neo!"  
  
Neo had pulled out several guns and was firing at the agents; he had paid a quick visit to the Construct before coming to help. Jon leapt behind him, and took the guns that Trinity held out. While agents can dodge bullets, it's slightly more difficult for them to dodge eight streams of bullets at once. One or two were hit; there would be a great flash of light, and someone else would appear in their place. Jon felt a pang of guilt when he saw them, knowing that they were just innocent people.  
  
Suddenly more agents came running out of the door. Jon's heart sank. He'd almost been hoping that they would win. But when about twenty more agents lined up in front of Neo, all holding big guns, Jon remembered Morpheus' words: 'Everyone who has tried to fight an agent has died.' He glanced at Neo and hoped that he was as good at stopping bullets as he was in the film. He was; he held out one hand and all the bullets froze in midair. Agent Smith gestured with one hand, and some agents ran behind, still firing. Neo held up the other hand, which stopped those bullets as well.  
  
Agent Smith watched all this calmly. He then walked around the circle, and pointed his gun exactly halfway between Neo's outstretched hands. He then fired his gun. Trinity cried out, and fell over, clutching her shoulder.  
  
"Trinity!" said Neo. Two agents ran forward and grabbed onto Jon and Morpheus, pulling them away from Neo. Morpheus tried to fight them off, but more came and they restrained him. Jon watched the scene in horror. The agents standing around were still firing - Agent Smith had stepped forward and was pointing the gun at Trinity's head. Neo was keeping off the bullets from the other agents, but Agent Smith was standing so that to block that bullet, Neo would be forced to prevent fire from another direction. If he moved his hands, he would be shot; but if he didn't, then Trinity would.  
  
"Shit," said Jon.  
  
"Let her go," said Neo, "You don't need her."  
  
"Yes, but you do," said Agent Smith. He fired.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asha felt behind her with her mind. She was handcuffed to the chair; but she feel the lock. Painstakingly, she held it with her mind, and tried to force it to move. David was looking out the window at the fight.  
  
"Ah," he said, "Your knight in shining armour."  
  
Asha glanced up. She saw Neo swoop down towards the courtyard. She wished she could see what was happening. Then she heard the gunshots starting. David watched her.  
  
"Do you want to know what's happening?" he said, "Your hero Neo is firing at agents. Behind him are Trinity and Morpheus, and your little friend, Jon."  
  
"Jon?" said Asha in alarm, "What's he doing here?"  
  
"Hiding behind the system anomaly, apparently," said David, "Oh look- more agents are coming out. Neo's blocking bullets. I really should go down and join the party." He smirked at the look of horror on Asha's face.  
  
Keep him talking, thought Asha. If he goes down there, they haven't got a chance. But chance do I have even if I escape?  
  
'You have a chance because you are the second hope.'  
  
Ashs shook her head. There was that voice again. Where was it coming from? She didn't understand it.  
  
'Just get free' said the voice, with a bit more urgency, 'And everything will become clear.'  
  
Honestly, thought Asha, it's like having a little Morpheus in my head. But she shrugged. It was her only chance; there was no way she was going to join David, and if she didn't she would die - if she escaped, she had a slight chance. She continued to work on the lock. It was halfway open - just a bit more and she would be free. David walked over to Asha's chair.  
  
"So, Ash," said David, "Now that we're alone, without Smithy-boy, what shall we talk about?"  
  
"Hmm," said Asha, "How about how it's not very smart to call a pissed off teenager by a nickname she hates?"  
  
"Really?" said David, "I see no reason why I shouldn't call you Ash."  
  
"Well, for the first reason," said Asha, trying to look nonchalant but at the same time working on the lock, "Ash is the name of a Japanese anime character with a little yellow rodent that always seems to save the day. He bugs me. And second of all..." She wriggled the catch in the lock a tiny bit to the left. "You never know when they'll fight back."  
  
The lock clicked open. Asha leapt to her feet and hit David with as much strength as she could muster. David reeled back, in shock. Asha reached out a hand, and a sword flew off the wall to her hand. She held it out in front of her, the point hovering steadily about an inch away from David's face. He blinked.  
  
"Hey, guess what?" said Asha, "Turns out I know how to fight a bit myself."  
  
* * * * *  
  
I know, I'm an evil rat child to leave you on such a cliffhanger, but at least Neo's awake! So, um, don't send too many dragons, attack chickens or frickin' mad hobbits after me... Please?  
  
Tanuki Yasha - Yes, yet more cliffhangers, I'm sorry... No, I haven't tried vanilla pepsi yet. I'll have to tell my friend about it, she gets hyper enough on vanilla coke...  
  
Cirfia - Oh, sorry that you didn't get an alert. Wow, your kitten sounds evil... don't send it after me! Please!  
  
EVIL KITTEN: *glare*  
  
Damn, too late... And I will update the ring story, probably update it today as well. Glad you like it!  
  
Kit19 - Oh yes, she does more than just pinch him... hehehe...  
  
Im a Brandybuck - Yup, he rocks! Hey, when I went to see the Matrix Reloaded, I recognised his SHOES! At the very beginning, you just see his shoes, and I nearly screamed 'Oh no, its AGENT SMITH!!!' I didn't though, people would think I was incredibly strange if I did. And they'd be right...  
  
Stormhawk - OK, OK, more coming!  
  
Pandamoanium - Really? It's original? That's so sweet, I was worried it wasn't. Cool name, too!  
  
Megami no Inazumi - I love writing Agent Smith, he's just so cool, but I was worried I wasn't getting his character. It's great that you like it, and your name is also cool! Yeah, David is a bit of a jerk... I was thinking about writing a story about what happened to him to make him join the agents, but I'm not sure. What do you think?  
  
Nurvilyawen of Imladris - Ha ha ha. Of course you'll think she's nifty. Which she is. Of course. Sugarplum fairy? There's a new one... Hey, I wanna frolic! *also frolics insanely and sings along to all the Grease songs* Summer lovin' happened so fa-ast!!!!  
  
EVIL KITTEN: *glares threateningly*  
  
OK, I'll stop...  
  
Alexia and Gwen - Whoa, that is a lot of capital letters... Um, calm down?  
  
Mako - Aw, thanks Mako! And I know you want a break, but I love your story, so please update as soon as you can! Or I'll take a leaf out of my reviewers book and send dragons after you!  
  
Fairy-of-the-Lost - Am I a fan of LOTR? YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it as much as the Matrix, if not MORE!!!!! A month before ROTK comes out, I'm going start trawling magazines for competitions to win tickets to the premiere... Ditto the Matrix Revolutions....  
  
Littlefurryscrubcreature - Um, it's a muffin, right? Either that or a face. Personally I'd prefer a muffin, but faces are just as good... especially certain anomalies and elves' faces...  
  
Jack Cole - I dunno. I don't think so, I mean, he'd have to know the moves and everything. The muffin's eating me? *looks at muffin, which transforms into a massive man-eating muffin*  
  
MASSIVE MAN-EATING MUFFIN: Raaaargh!  
  
Aaaaah!!! Alliterated carniverous baked goods!! *runs for the hills*  
  
Yilantri - Yes, PotC is ABSOLUTELY FABBY!!!!!! By the way, keep an eye out for a PotC fic from me at some point, I've got an idea, I just need to write it.  
  
MASSIVE MAN-EATING MUFFIN: Raaaargh!!  
  
Oh damn, not again.... 


	15. Farewell

Chapter 15 - Farewell  
  
"You won't kill me," said David, "Its not a fair fight. You don't have the heart."  
  
"Hey, you're right," said Asha, "Maybe I won't kill you yet. Maybe I'll beat you up a bit first." She gripped him with her mind, and threw him towards the ceiling, very much like Saruman does to Gandalf in 'The Lord of the Rings' - another favourite of Asha's. She wished the ceiling was a bit pointier, but it was with no little enjoyment that she dropped him to the floor with a satisfying thud. She slammed him to the opposite wall, then back again. "I could do this all day," she said.  
  
Finally she lifted him into the air again so that he was hovering about a feet off the ground. David was trying to fight back, but Asha had locked his body still. He could only glare; Asha met it with yet another smile. "Hey, David," she said sweetly, "You remember before, when you asked me how I could think that I was more powerful than you? Well, I'm a girl, as you may have noticed. And we can do this." She leapt into the air and kicked David extremely hard in the place that the Matrix only meant to be treated nicely. He flew backwards and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor. "We can multitask too," called Asha gleefully.  
  
Gunshots from outside brought Asha back to reality. She glanced at David. She knew that she ought to finish him off, but when she looked at him on the ground, she saw something in him; she saw the boy that he might have been. Something told her that this wasn't the time. She grinned when she saw that he had passed out from the pain of Asha's beating. "See you later," she said.  
  
She ran to the window and looked down. Something was happening; agents were standing in a circle around Neo and Trinity. Morpheus and Jon were standing separately, being restrained by several other agents. It was a long way down. She took a deep breath, and climbed onto the windowsill. "There is no spoon," she said with a smile, and jumped off.  
  
As she fell, she felt ahead to see what was happening. She 'saw' Agent Smith firing his gun; the bullet was heading towards Trinity. The shot would be fatal. She could feel the internal conflict inside Neo's mind. She knew that he was about to stop that bullet, which would mean the end. Not just of Neo; but of Trinity, Morpheus, and the fight against the machines. She sent out her will towards the bullet, and bent its course. It shot harmlessly into the atmosphere.  
  
Agent Smith stared at the gun in disbelief. Trinity looked up, scarcely daring to believe it. The other agents stopped firing. Asha grinned at the confusion that she had caused, and landed a little less gracefully than she had intended next to Neo. But she managed to get to her feet pretty quickly.  
  
"You!" said Agent Smith.  
  
"Asha!" said Jon.  
  
"Yup," said Asha. She looked around her, and grabbed all of the agents' guns. She ripped them out of their grasp, and threw them across the grass. Neo blinked.  
  
"Hey, Neo," said Asha, "You up for some kung fu?"  
  
Neo looked at her in disbelief. Then his face broke into a smile, the same one that Asha had drooled over in 'The Watcher'. His eyes flashed mischievously. "Sure," he said.  
  
Jon stared in amazement as Asha proceeded to beat the living hell out of the agents. The ones surrounding him and Morpheus ran to join the fight, and him and Morpheus were forgotten. Was this the same Asha that he'd known? No, it wasn't - she had changed. Some part of her had been unlocked, and her full spirit was showing itself.  
  
"Hey! Guys!" she called to Jon and Morpheus, "Go to the gate, we'll meet you there." Morpheus nodded, and he and Jon ran towards the exit.  
  
Eventually the agents backed away and stood in a circle around Neo, Asha and Trinity. Asha looked around, full of adrenaline. Neo knelt down next to Trinity, and helped her to her feet.  
  
"You guys go," said Asha, "I'll be fine."  
  
Neo was about to argue, when he saw something in Asha's face that made him change his mind. He took hold of Trinity's hand and jumped over the heads of the agents to the exit. Agent Smith watched them go, and then stepped towards Asha.  
  
"So, you have realised your powers," he said.  
  
"You could say that," said Asha. Her phone rang. "Excuse me for one second." She pulled it out. "Hello?"  
  
"Asha," said Tank, "Get out of there. I can see reinforcements coming down the stairs in the building."  
  
Asha looked at Agent Smith and smiled. "OK Tank. See you in a minute."  
  
"And where do you think you're going?" asked Agent Smith as Asha put away her phone. Asha grinned at him.  
  
"Nowhere in particular," she said innocently. She then pushed off from the ground, and shot into the air.  
  
She couldn't actually fly - only Neo could do that. She could, however, leap very high into the air. She soared over the heads of the agents and landed only a few yards from the agents. Before they had even taken a couple of steps towards her, she was out of sight.  
  
She joined the crowds of people were running away from Big Ben. She spotted Morpheus, Trinity, Neo and Jon towards the front of the crowd, and elbowed her way through to meet them.  
  
"Hey!" she said, finally catching up with them (several members of the public muttering curses and rubbing bruised arms).  
  
Morpheus smiled at her. "Do you believe it now, Asha?"  
  
"Believe what?"  
  
"That you are the second hope."  
  
"Uh..." said Asha, "I guess. Still feels kinda weird though." She glanced at Neo and Trinity. He was resting a hand on her non-injured shoulder.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked concernedly.  
  
"I'm fine," she said, "How are you?"  
  
"Fine." They looked at each other. Neo leant in and kissed Trinity.  
  
"Awwww!" said Asha. Neo and Trinity looked at her.  
  
"Hey, Morpheus, what do you say we head back to the ship?" said Neo.  
  
"I'll agree with that," said Morpheus, "I think we have some Matrix fans over there." Asha glanced over to the right and saw several teenagers wearing sunglasses and clutching cinema magazines with Neo on the cover pointing at them and talking rapidly. Morpheus pulled out his phone. "Tank, you got an exit for us?"  
  
"Just round the corner," answered Tank. Morpheus nodded.  
  
"Hey, wait, what about Jon?" said Asha. Morpheus, Trinity and Neo glanced at each other. "We're not just leaving him here, are we?"  
  
"Asha," said Trinity, "We have to. We don't know whether he's ready to be unplugged."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Hey, Asha, don't worry," said Jon, "I understand. I belong here. You belong with them. On the Nebuchadnezzar."  
  
Asha shook her head. "No," she said, "We can't just leave him!"  
  
"Maybe in a few years," said Trinity, "Then he'd be old enough. We can't now, its too risky." Asha looked at Morpheus, Trinity and Neo's faces, and nodded, not trusting herself to speak.  
  
"Can you give me a minute to say goodbye?" she asked.  
  
Morpheus nodded, and he and the others went round the corner. Asha turned to Jon. He saw that she had tears in her eyes. "Asha, don't worry," he said, "Really, I don't mind. I won't tell anyone either."  
  
"I know that," she said, "And I'll come and see you. I promise."  
  
"You'd better," he said with a smile. He hugged her. Asha smiled.  
  
"I'd better go," she said.  
  
"Bye," said Jon. She turned and walked away. As she reached the corner, she turned and smiled at Jon. He waved. Asha waved back. She then walked round the corner determinedly, blinking the tears out of her eyes.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Wow, so many reviews... It's brilliant, thanks so much to everyone!  
  
Im a Brandybuck - It was great! Brill story! See, Trinity was fine... But I'm trying not to use any direct Matrix bits in this story. Sorry I left you on that cliffhanger, by the way.  
  
Tanuki Yasha - Well, it would have been a lot simpler, but considerably more icky... ew...  
  
Cirfia - Whoops, sorry, I shouldn't have gone on holiday, should I? Nobody likes resorting to vampire books... Actually, the only vampire book I've read is 'Vampyr Legion', so I'm not really qualified to say that... Your friend's Cattie, right? Sorry if it's not, I'm very tired...  
  
JB Foster - I know, I know, I should have thought of something better. I'm just not all that imaginative... The reason he didn't drop the bullets he was holding was that the agents were continually firing more, so if he'd stopped one would have hit them. And the reason he took guns was so that the others could defend themselves. Don't hold back from pointing out stuff like that, I need constructive criticism. Right, more feasibility is needed... me and feasibility don't go well together...  
  
KnowInSight - Oooh, I love phoenixes!!! Here, Phoenix! Come join the other creatures reviewers have sent after me... (Phoenix goes into the kitchen to join the silver dragon Mesan, the pink dragon Raven, the Wob-Wob, a frickin' mad hobbit, an attack chicken, an insane cat...)  
  
Mako - Oh, wow, I'm so glad you like it so much! AND YOU UPDATED!! At LAST!!! Looking forward to the Freeway chase scene, though...  
  
Chips - Hopefully your head is still intact... otherwise I may have to send the Wob-Wob to come and fix it, and he's very expensive to feed...  
  
Kit19 - Hope her retribution was good enough for you. Heh heh, I enjoyed writing that bit...  
  
Megami no Inazumi - Well, if that's not encouragement to write it, I don't know what is... I'll start work on it right away, but I have a lot of stories at the moment (see Bio for list of upcoming stories!)  
  
Alocin - Whoa, agent fan alert! My sister loves the agents as well. I think they rock too!  
  
Gone-to-jarmadanga - Sorry it hasn't been that dramatic... maybe if I write a sequel it'll be REAAAALLY dramatic. I'm talking thunder, death, destruction, Crebain from Dunland, cursed pirates... OK, maybe no cursed pirates...  
  
Stormhawk - Oh, um, sorry about the evil cliffies...  
  
Littlefurryscrubcreature - Well, I can be extremely evil-rat-childlike when I want to be. Emphasis on evil. Mwahahahahahaha!!!! Ahem, sorry about that... sometimes my evil demons come to surface, y'know... I'm really not crazy... much... shut up brain, shut up...  
  
Alexia and Gwen - No, I haven't seen Daredevil yet. I'll see it at some point...  
  
MollyJean - Hmmm... now there's a thought... Never really considered where the Wachowski Brothers came into it. I think I decided that the machines kind of sent messages to prompt them to make the film, like subliminal messages.  
  
Renee - Yes ma'am, right away ma'am.  
  
Huntress - Oooh, I'm a bad influence... I've only ever been called that once before, and that was because my friend's mum insists that my friend acts crazier when I'm around.  
  
Nurvilyawen of Imladris - Stop being mean to Gollum!! You're terrifying him! Yes, to the depths of his very soul!! Hobbit foot hair? Ewww.... ENOUGH DEER PUNS!!! THAT MAKES A TOTAL OF 27 IN ONE WEEK!!!!!!  
  
I'll update soon, everyone! The next chapter will be the last *sniff and wail loudly* unless you guys want a sequel! See you next week!  
  
LAST CHAPTER!!!! *weeps* I'm so going to miss this one... well, not really, because I've already written a sequel! It will be out soon, so watch this space! Well, watch my bio... And I, um, kind of left it on a cliffie again... *shame, then runs in fear from various monsters people send at her for being so evil* But I've also included a snippet from the sequel at the end - kinda like the Matrix: Revolutions trailer at the end of the second film - so I'll see you all again when the sequel appears! Enjoy! 


	16. Returning

Chapter 16 - Returning  
  
When she reached the phone booth, Neo and Trinity had already gone. Morpheus was standing there waiting for her. He held out the ringing phone to her. She was about to take it when she stopped.  
  
"Wait," she said, "I can't go yet."  
  
"Why not?" said Morpheus.  
  
"I have to go and see the Oracle," said Asha. Morpheus raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"I just feel that I have to," said Asha, "I'll meet you back on the ship later. Ask Tank to get me transport to America."  
  
Morpheus nodded, and put the receiver to his ear. He dissolved before Asha's eyes, and the receiver dropped down. Asha picked it up and replaced it. After waiting for about a minute, the phone rang again. She picked up the receiver, closed her eyes as the tingling sensation spread over her, then opened her eyes again. She was in New York. She glanced about carefully - people who saw strange things in New York felt more inclined to report them. Especially since that 'Men in Black' film. She pulled out her phone.  
  
"Where am I, Tank?" she asked.  
  
"Only a few streets away from the Oracle," he said. Asha set off at a jog. As she ran, she thought about everything that had happened since she had been there last. Was she really the second hope? Judging by the whole telekinesis and fighting agents thing, she was starting to believe it.  
  
Finally she reached the building. She ran up the stairs, not being bothered to use the lift again, and walked down the corridor to the door. She knocked, but the door was opened almost immediately by a priestess.  
  
"Welcome, Asha," she said, "The Oracle's waiting for you."  
  
"She's good," said Asha, impressed. She walked into the living room, waving at Spoon Boy as she went, then walked into the kitchen. The Oracle was cooking a big pie, probably for the potentials. She glanced at her watch, and was amazed to see that it was only about five o' clock. She'd arrived in the Matrix that morning, at about seven thirty, judging by the fact that Jon had probably been on his way to school when he was nearly hit by a truck. It had been a long day.  
  
"Asha," she said, taking her hands, "I do believe you've grown since I saw you yesterday."  
  
"Was it really only yesterday?" said Asha with amazement, "It feels so much longer."  
  
"You've learnt much in that time," she said, "You're starting to believe it."  
  
Asha opened her mouth to ask something, but the Oracle said, "I know what you're going to ask me. You're going to ask how you get back; if you're plugged in, can you get out by phone?"  
  
Asha shut her mouth again and nodded. The Oracle smiled. "Go out the way you came in."  
  
"What?" said Asha, "You mean, I can move in and out of the Matrix as well?"  
  
"Yes," said the Oracle, "You have David's powers, without having to join the side of the machines. He would have had them as well, had he just waited to find them. Even Neo would be able to, if he saw the point of it when he could travel in and out just as easily by phone. But I hope that you will use them more responsibly than David did."  
  
"You already know whether I will," said Asha.  
  
"So I do," said the Oracle, "But I won't tell you, because it may turn you from your set path."  
  
"Right," said Asha, "Um, OK. I never fully understood this whole destiny thing."  
  
"Neither do I," said the Oracle, "Destiny is a very complicated thing. Try not to think about it too much."  
  
"Fine by me," said Asha, "Will I ever see David again?"  
  
"That will be up to you," said the Oracle. Asha nodded.  
  
"Thank you," she said, "And thank you for not giving me bad news. I've just got to figure out how leave now."  
  
The Oracle nodded. Asha closed her eyes, and tried to imagine the world splitting about her. She tried not to force it, not particularly wanting to rip the Oracle's kitchen in half. She could have cheered when she felt a hole appearing. Suddenly she remembered something.  
  
"One more thing!" she called, and turned back to the Oracle. She was watching her expectantly, as if she'd been waiting for her to remember, "You said that I'd have to make a choice about Neo. Well, it wasn't that much of a difficult choice. I brought him back!"  
  
"Well," said the Oracle, "Maybe that's because you haven't made that choice yet."  
  
And then she was falling through the green code of the Matrix, heading back to the real world.  
  
* * * * *  
  
AND... a sneak preview of the sequel, 'It all comes down to Choice', due out, um, I haven't decided yet...  
  
Falcon was reading his magazine when he noticed the room had become considerably darker. Looking at the monitor, he saw that the screen had gone black.  
  
"Damn!" he said loudly. He tapped a few keys, but nothing happened. He still looked calm, but inside he was raging. They couldn't be beating him again, not again. Only one other system had done this to him; this was the second time in a month. He'd found only two systems he couldn't beat in his hacking career, and both in a month?  
  
He didn't even know what he was hacking into. Having discovered a gap in cyberspace, he, unlike many other hackers, had dived straight in. He'd been surprised to discover codes even here, so he knew he'd been onto something big. But his computer had crashed before he could find anything important.  
  
He'd spent the last few weeks trying to rediscover the entrance. Now at last he had, and his computer had packed up again? This couldn't be coincidence. Someone, or something, was stopping him from seeing this. Not that he was intending to sell what he found - he hacked for the sheer thrill of it, and the pleasure of imagining the faces of the people in the system when they found that their security had been breached - by a teenager.  
  
Suddenly green writing appeared on the screen. He blinked. Squinting, he read;  
  
'Tut, tut, Falcon, that's not for you to see.'  
  
*****  
  
So? What do you think? It was difficult finding a bit that didn't give away too much, but I think that bit's a nice little teaser for you.  
  
Im a Brandybuck - Yup, sequel coming soon! New characters, new story, and Asha manages to get herself into yet more trouble. And yes, more Agent Smith! Yaaay!  
  
Kit - Like I said, more coming! Neo is cool... He's groovy too. He's in the sequel, and he has some emotional dilemmas, and I concentrate more on how he feels, cos I think that's something I haven't really written about in this one. And I'll write for ages, but not forever... I mean, the whole being dead could get in the way...  
  
Mako - I won't tell anyone! Please send it to me! Me wanna REEEEEEAD!!!!!  
  
Sirocco.flow - I considered her being american, cos it would be convenient, but then I thought - Why are there no english people in the film? Except the Twins, but they're programs, made by a programmer with a thing for fake accents... So I say, THE MATRIX NEEDS AN ENGLISH HERO!!!! *waves english flag*  
  
Tanuki Yasha - Whoa.... that's hyper... Oh, sorry, WHOA... THAT'S HYPER... Where do you live again? Sorry, I have a terrible memory for stuff like this.  
  
Microchips - Wob-Wob was a gift from a reviewer. He's, um... a Wob-Wob. Only way to describe him. He adores chocolate brownies, rules my mini- country (a gift from another reviewer) and occasionally eats my fridge. Oh, and he throws great dinner parties for the Wog-Wog and the Wom-Wom.  
  
Littlefurryscrubcreature - In answer to your questions, yes, yes, hell yes, and I don't think I write THE coolest stories. I'm sure there's loadsa people who write better than me. Who don't have their english teacher accusing them of not being able to convey whether their character is alive or dead... *starts muttering angrily about english teacher*  
  
Daredevilgirl - Yes, sequel coming! Hope you liked the preview!  
  
KnowInSight - Who's Lai? Was she that phoenix? Sorry, I'm getting confused... so many creatures-sent-by-reviewers-who-glare-at-me-and-eat-my- food-until-I-update, so little memory... And, um, I'm not sure. Maybe cos the agents didn't see the point. That's just a teeny plot hole. *shame*  
  
Cirfia - Vampyr Legion is part of a trilogy. The others are called Shadow of the Minotaur and Warriors of the Raven. Like most trilogies, it kicks ass. My fave was the Minotaur one, though, cos I love Greek Mythology.  
  
Gone-to-jarmadanga - Hmmm... me and serious don't really go together... I do write stories that aren't fanfictions, mainly fantasy stories, with fairies and wizards and all these other things. I love writing stories like that.  
  
Nurvilyawen of Imladris - Why can't I frolic? I WANNA FROLIC!!!  
  
MollyJean - Well, there'll be more of Jon in the sequel, I can promise you that.  
  
Alexia & Gwen - Samara? Go see 'The Matrix Madness', and see Neo's Samara impression! Not a good one, but anyway... Can't be scared of her any more, after picturing Neo in a white nightie trying to look scary... 


End file.
